Customer development, research, and user interviews are critical to every business, and I've been trying to improve my own process.

Here's a little brainstorm on customer development.

If this helps one person, mission accomplished.

The Mom test is a great framework:

Talk about their life instead of your idea

Ask about specifics in the past instead of generics or opinions about the future

Talk less and listen more https://www.amazon.com/Mom-Test-customers-business-everyone/dp/1492180742

Pre-plan the top 3 things you want to learn from someone.

Keep doing customer development until you stop hearing new information.

Have two people in any meeting: one leading questions and one taking notes.

Questions to dig into feature requests:

Why do you want that?

What would that let you do?

How are you coping without it?

How would that fit into your day?

Questions to dig into emotional signals:

That seems to really bug you - I bet there’s a story here.

What makes it so awful?

Why haven’t you been able to fix this already?

You seem pretty excited - is that a big deal?

It’s easier to guide a conversation and stay on track if you have an existing set of beliefs that you’re updating vs. taking new notes every time.

Great meetings don't involve people complimenting you or your idea. They end with “can we buy the prototype?”