SIMPLIFIED

VALIDATION BOARD
Get out of the building!
 CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

CUSTOMER CUSTOMER CUSTOMER COMPANY

DISCOVERY VALIDATION CREATION BUILDING

PIVOT

SEARCH EXECUTION
CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

• All about understanding the problems and

needs of the customer
• Gain more insights
• Confirm that the product is attractive to the
target customer, i.e., Product-Market FIT
Validation Process

Success
Pursue!
Identify
Design an Success
Hypothesis Experiment Test
Criteria

Pivot!
Failure
Design Experiment
VALIDATION BOARD
• simple tool for testing out your latest startup and
product ideas
• goal of using the validation board is to help
entrepreneurs all over the world get out of the
building and talk to customers
• So many products fail because they aren’t solving
a problem that customers care about
 ` SIMPLIFIED VALIDATION BOARD
Customer Choose one of your identified Note: One customer per
customer segments. validation board
Segment
Problem What is the problem of your identified customer that you want to solve?

Solution What solution do you propose?

How will you validate? (Interview / Sell / Concierge)

Experiment Experimental Plan

Success Metric How will you know if you are successful? (Set a target outcome)

Result Simulate / Imagine results

Action Pivot! or Pursue!

 SIMPLIFIED VALIDATION BOARD
Experiment 1 Experiment 2
Women in age 30’s who just
Customer Segmemt Women in age 30’s who just had a baby
had a baby

No way to find out if the baby needs to Women at their 30’s don’t have time
Problem change the diaper unless you check it to change diaper because of work

Solution Smart Diaper Yaya Finder App

Interview: 100 women age 30 who just had a Concierge: Show the mock App to mothers
Experiment baby and test if users will actually use the app.

Success Criteria 60% of the respondents wants to get an alert

that they have to change the diaper already
75% of respondents would use the
app

Result 30% of the respondents wants to get an alert 90% of respondents would use the
app

Action Pivot!
Pursue!
Validation Methods
1. INTERVIEW / EXPLORE
> Find the customer’s pain
2. PRE-SELL / PITCH
> Measure the Demand
3. CONCIERGE
> Product
Method 1: Exploration / Interview
• This method is usually used if you have little information about
your idea
• Goal is to find the pain points of the customers
Method 1: Exploration
Method 1. Exploration
▪ Identify a contact and its customer type in an industry related to your field of study
– Someone you can contact easily and frequently. You can ask your professors or older/alumni
orgmates for referrals.
▪ Do a customer interview
– Verify the problem
– What’s the hardest part about <problem>?
– Can you tell us about the last time it happened? How often does it happen?
– Why was that hard?
– What, if anything, have you done to solve the problem? (identify the problem awareness)
– What don’t you love about the solutions you’ve tried?
– What do you think of our proposed solution?

Note: For two-sided ventures need validation on both sides (e.g.

sponsors/advertisers AND end-users)
Interview Tips

▪ Supply the name of the individual you will contact.

▪ Do not list professors/researchers who are just developing the technology. We are
looking for people who will buy/use/distribute the technology.
▪ Do not list students and professors, get out of the building and meet working
professionals.
▪ Ask about the core product/service of your contact's company so that you can
focus your discussion on critical/tech issues instead of manpower/finance/minor
issues.
▪ Understand the key processes in the production and distribution. This dialogue
flow will more likely help them recall issues in these processes. Then dig deeper by
asking the five-why’s.
Interview Tips: Ask the 5 Why’s
Keep asking why until you can see a possible technology solution.
▪ Ex. From Toyota in https://open.buffer.com/5-whys-process/
1. “Why did the robot stop?” The circuit has overloaded, causing a fuse to blow.
2. “Why is the circuit overloaded?” There was insufficient lubrication on the
bearings, so they locked up.
3. “Why was there insufficient lubrication on the bearings?” The oil pump on the
robot is not circulating sufficient oil.
4. Why is the pump not circulating sufficient oil?” The pump intake is clogged wit
metal shavings.
5. “Why is the intake clogged with metal shavings?” Because there is no filter on the
pump.
Interview Tips:

▪ Ask for referrals if no direct contacts.

– You are more likely to get a response from a warm call (when you are introduced by a common
acquaintance) than a cold call.
– Family members and friends will be biased.

▪ Use email rather than facebook. It’s more formal and older contacts are more likely
to be checking their email than their facebook messages.
– In your initial request, go straight to the point, i.e. use your value proposition “ Would you be
interested in <value proposition>?

▪ Unless a patent for your technology has already been filed, do not disclose how
your technology works but only the results or benefits.
▪ Confirm the problem first
▪ Check availability for follow-up meeting (weekly)
 Method 2: Pitch/ Pre-Sell
• It involves pitching a specific solution to the customer even
before the product has been built.
• Examples:
• Email - Landing page
• Cold call - Fake Ads
 Method 3: Concierge

• Delivering your product through a physical service

• Delivering the product with as little technology as possible
 CREATE YOUR OWN
` SIMPLIFIED VALIDATION BOARD
Customer Choose one of your identified Note: One customer per
customer segments. validation board
Segment
Problem What is the problem of your identified customer that you want to solve?

Solution What solution do you propose?

How will you validate? (Interview / Sell / Concierge)

Experiment Experimental Plan

Success Metric How will you know if you are successful? (Set a target outcome)

Result Simulate / Imagine results

Action Pivot! or Pursue!

PAPER
PROTOTYPING
 PAPER
PROTOTYPING
Design something that you can
show to your customer
 Sketching
screenshots on
paper as
substitutes for
digital
representations
IF YOU ARE CREATING AN
APPLICATION
IF YOU ARE CREATING A WEBSITE
ADVANTAGES
• Rapid Iteration- You can always change what you need to change
• Inexpensive- Paper is cheap. It won’t break the bank!
• Increased creativity- FREEDOM
• Team Building- Drawing, cutting and pasting together can build
team unity and raise spirits
• Automatic Documentation- They are a tangible document
• Perfect for Validation- something to show to your customer
FAIL FAST,
FAIL FORWARD
GET OUT
OF THE
BUILDING