One sentence for entrepreneurs per day: It is what u don't know kill you!
It is what u don't know kill you!
It is not hard to come out a business idea at all, which is fairly easy to come by. The problem for most innovators , whether entrepreneurs or managers in established companies, is to establish empathy with customers, to get out of a seller's mindset and into a user's mindset.
Why is discovering the learning "what u don't know u don't know" is crucial? Firstly, since the innovators often are convinced that their idea has merit, their mindset is not one of discovery or learning ; it is proving model when they try to do potential customer surveys for their prototype. So they can find out what is the real needs or things they don't know. Secondly, the reality is that it's not the plan A but the plan B or C works. So what is first comes out in ur plan usually is incorrect. You'd better dig more and learn the thing u don't know to save time. Third, either the initial products or the target customers are not the right one u knew. Although the customer survey is working on clarifying what the customers' response will show the solution might work, the surveys are not designed to resolve the kinds of uncertainty.
What innovators need is a long interview, which is a systematic way to uncover factors or issues. You can sit down with your customers and go through all of the details of the current buying model. For example, how much is the average cost or time they would like to pay; or what is their feelings when they use your solution or prototype. So how to plan a long interview?
Your interview guide will consist of 5 elements:
1, A brief introduction and some opening biographical questions to put the customer at ease;
2, A few "interview driver" question. Such as what's your feelings about current product or service which u are using?
3, "Dig-deeper" prompts for interview driver. like, " what do u mean...."
4, A number of "dig-wider" prompts. The sentences like " what about?' " what if"
5, Some of what I call "out-of -box" prompts. or contrast prompts.
From above, u'll learn how ur idea might or might not fit into your users current behavioral patterns. Or u might find there is a mismatch. U might get some idea for adjusting your concept. U might also find there is something u don't know u don't know -the customers need more than what u were thinking about. All of those may redirect your innovation efforts entirely.
That's all I want to share with u guys today~~
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