When I was attending the BMC course at Mars Discovery District one in my cohort referred to The Mom Test. This book on customer discovery by Rob Fitzpatrick asks entrepreneurs to doggedly pursue the truth. Even if it says your idea sucks. If you are concerned about feelings and a fragile ego, talk to your Mom.
The book advices –
– seek true information or feedback not compliments
– during conversations with investors or customers ensure they talk more
– ‘informal meetings and casual conversations’ often get more useful information
– Startups mostly struggle to define a specific customer segment.
David Cummings referred to this book in his piece on developing a specific customer profile and shared ‘the ideal customer’ of Pardot. It included details like –
* 20 – 200 total employees in the company or division of a larger company (typically a small-to-medium sized business)
* 5 – 50 employees in sales and marketing (shows a dedicated team for acquiring new customers)
* Sales people listed in LinkedIn (shows they have a complex sale involving consultative sales reps)
…and more.
As you get ready to go to market a primary task is to clearly define your niche. Aaron Ross will agree.
Where I learnt it #213 Develop a Specific Ideal Customer Profile
https://davidcummings.org/2018/08/25/develop-a-specific-ideal-customer-profile/
