Customer Development Interview Guidelines
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 3:55 am
At first glance, it may seem that CustDev is no different from more detailed interviewing. This is not the case, and the reason is several things:
Firstly, an in-depth interview is conducted on a narrower topic. And it does not imply collecting advice and recommendations.
And secondly, the interview does not involve discussing any specific product, its advantages and the problems it solves. If this happens, then it is precisely
Now A/B testing. This is a variation of it, where respondents are asked to choose one of two alternatives that are prepared in advance and understandable to them. (Such testing actually contains only closed questions). It seems that everything is simple and you only need to jot down something like “do you like the red one or the green one” or something like that.
But this is where the logical self employed database trap is hidden: when implementing CustDev, the consumer does not see the product, often he does not even imagine it, so he cannot compare anything (and the A/B test assumes comparison). And this is precisely why closed questions for research are much more difficult to prepare than open ones, although the answers to the latter are much more valuable.
Interview for Customer Development
Let's begin the interview.
It should be noted right away that it will be much easier to get answers if you first take care to create an environment that is comfortable for your respondent and relevant to the topic of the conversation. That is, if we are talking about creating a software product such as an application for artists, then stock up on inventory and try to draw something yourself first. Read thematic literature the day before to be able to support the conversation not at a primitive level. Remember, the main thing for the interviewer is to create a trusting atmosphere; only then can you count on frank, detailed answers and explanations.
Don't jump right into a conversation. Let your interview be preceded by a small talk , in which you talk about the weather, about life, or just tell a funny story. Relax your interlocutor.
Next, ask the respondent a couple of pre-prepared questions on the topic of conversation. The answers to them should give you grounds for a new expression of interest. In general, you should try to structure the interview in such a way that it is a coherent dialogue, and the interlocutor's thoughts move from one question of interest to another. The first pair of them sets the trend, and therefore you need to think about them thoroughly the day before. Control the time of answering questions - do not allow the interlocutor to spill his thoughts along the tree. The answer should be detailed, but to the point. The standard here is 3 minutes.
Everything should fit into half an hour; a longer conversation will be a waste of time for both of you (talking about abstract topics), or you simply won’t be able to note down everything the respondent says. In general, there needs to be a measure everywhere.
CusDev Interview Timings
Firstly, an in-depth interview is conducted on a narrower topic. And it does not imply collecting advice and recommendations.
And secondly, the interview does not involve discussing any specific product, its advantages and the problems it solves. If this happens, then it is precisely
Now A/B testing. This is a variation of it, where respondents are asked to choose one of two alternatives that are prepared in advance and understandable to them. (Such testing actually contains only closed questions). It seems that everything is simple and you only need to jot down something like “do you like the red one or the green one” or something like that.
But this is where the logical self employed database trap is hidden: when implementing CustDev, the consumer does not see the product, often he does not even imagine it, so he cannot compare anything (and the A/B test assumes comparison). And this is precisely why closed questions for research are much more difficult to prepare than open ones, although the answers to the latter are much more valuable.
Interview for Customer Development
Let's begin the interview.
It should be noted right away that it will be much easier to get answers if you first take care to create an environment that is comfortable for your respondent and relevant to the topic of the conversation. That is, if we are talking about creating a software product such as an application for artists, then stock up on inventory and try to draw something yourself first. Read thematic literature the day before to be able to support the conversation not at a primitive level. Remember, the main thing for the interviewer is to create a trusting atmosphere; only then can you count on frank, detailed answers and explanations.
Don't jump right into a conversation. Let your interview be preceded by a small talk , in which you talk about the weather, about life, or just tell a funny story. Relax your interlocutor.
Next, ask the respondent a couple of pre-prepared questions on the topic of conversation. The answers to them should give you grounds for a new expression of interest. In general, you should try to structure the interview in such a way that it is a coherent dialogue, and the interlocutor's thoughts move from one question of interest to another. The first pair of them sets the trend, and therefore you need to think about them thoroughly the day before. Control the time of answering questions - do not allow the interlocutor to spill his thoughts along the tree. The answer should be detailed, but to the point. The standard here is 3 minutes.
Everything should fit into half an hour; a longer conversation will be a waste of time for both of you (talking about abstract topics), or you simply won’t be able to note down everything the respondent says. In general, there needs to be a measure everywhere.
CusDev Interview Timings