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Customer interview protocol

Here in this section, we emphasize the critical role of customer interviews in validating assumptions made on the Lean Canvas in the previous exercise and provides detailed guidance on how to conduct them effectively.

The Purpose of Customer Interviews

After populating a Lean Canvas, all elements—customer segment, problem, solution, and value proposition—are still assumptions. Customer interviews are the crucial next step to:

  • Validate if a real problem exists and if enough customers acknowledge it.
  • Confirm if the proposed solution effectively addresses that problem.
  • Gain confidence that the venture is on the right track.

Ashana's Customer Interview Protocol (Personalized Fitness Training)

Ashana's protocol for her personalized fitness training idea includes questions like:

  • How do you currently manage your fitness routine?
  • What would an ideal fitness experience look like?
  • What other fitness apps, programs, or online coaching have you tried?
  • What motivates you regarding fitness?

Feedback on Ashana's Protocol:

  • Customization is Key: Interview questions should be highly customized to the specific target segment. For example, questions for young professionals might differ from those for students, as their daily routines and challenges vary.
  • Understand the Customer's Life: Frame questions broadly to understand the customer's daily routine, habits, and lifestyle. This provides deeper insights into where the product or service might fit into their life (e.g., "What does your day look like?", "When do you get up?", "What's the first thing you do?").
  • Focus on the Problem, Not the Solution (Initially): Prioritize understanding the customer's problems. Ask about past attempts to solve the problem, what worked/didn't work, and why they might have stopped previous fitness regimes.
  • Avoid Selling: The goal is to gather feedback, not to convince. Even negative feedback is valuable.
  • Open-Ended Questions: Encourage customers to express their thoughts freely. Ask them how they would design a solution.
  • Listen More, Speak Less: This is a crucial mantra for effective customer interviews.

Arithra's Customer Interview Protocol (Smart Hydration Bottle)

Arithra's protocol is structured into distinct areas:

  1. Understanding the Problem: Questions to gauge awareness and challenges related to hydration.
  2. Exploring Current Solutions: What customers currently use or don't use, and their likes/dislikes.
  3. Proposing His Solution: Testing the smart bottle idea.
  4. Assessing Buying Behavior: Questions about willingness to pay and preferred models.

Feedback on Arithra's Protocol:

  • Structured Approach is Good: Dividing the interview into sections (problem, current solutions, proposed solution, buying behavior) is a good way to ensure all aspects are covered.
  • Reduce Number of Questions: 15 questions are too many for a typical 45-60 minute interview. Prioritize and focus.
  • Abstract to Broader Context: Before diving into specifics like "how much are you drinking," ask about general awareness of hydration and its importance, or how often they think about their water intake.
  • Understand Daily Routine for Specifics: Inquire about their typical water consumption habits and routines (e.g., drinking water upon waking, after meals).
  • Uncover Challenges: Ask about what they find challenging about consuming water (e.g., difficulty in winters).
  • Focus on Disconfirming: When testing the solution, try to get customers to explain why it won't work or what they dislike, rather than seeking confirmation. This provides more valuable insights for improvement.
  • Postpone Buying Behavior Questions: In initial interviews, especially when customers haven't fully grasped the product's utility, asking about willingness to pay is premature. Customers might give unreliable answers. This topic is better suited for subsequent rounds of interviews or during MVP runs when they have a clearer sense of the product.
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