Customer Discovery
Customer discovery is a process during which an innovator or product developer learns the problems, "pain points" and/or gaps from the perspective of potential customers. The result of the customer discovery process often results in adaptations to the potential product and insights into the potential value of the product. The resources below describe how to identify your customer and structure your interactions to get the most useful information.
- 12 Tips for Early Customer Development Interviews – An article providing twelve easily digestible tips for performing early customer development interviews
- Customer Discovery Videos – A link to a Vimeo website containing 37 short video clips with information on different aspects of customer discovery, including how to conduct interviews. These videos are from serial entrepreneur, Steve Blank.
- Value Proposition and Stakeholder Analysis – This 30-minute video is part of the Translational Training for Life Science Innovators and developed by the Kentucky Network for Innovation & Commercialization (KYNETIC). Speaker Fausto Sarmiento explains the value proposition and the value proposition canvas, and takes a deep dive into explaining different types of stakeholders and the questions to ask in your business model canvas.
- 8 Key Questions to Consider if You Want to Commercialize Your Technology - This 15-minute video is part of the Translational Training for Life Science Innovators and developed by the Kentucky Network for Innovation & Commercialization (KYNETIC). Speaker Jackie Willmot talks about the value proposition canvas, ensuring product-market fit, identifying your customers, customer discovery, minimal viable product (MVP), market size, funding strategies, protecting your intellectual property, and the business model canvas.
- Community and Stakeholder Engagement in Health Research: Guidelines and Suggestions for the Appropriate and Effective Engagement – This downloadable PDF offered by NC TraCS covers how and when to engage stakeholders, strategies for recognition of stakeholders, and financial and logistical considerations.
- FDA Patient-Focused Drug Development – Guidance Series for Enhancing the Incorporation of the Patient’s Voice in Medical Product Development and Regulatory Decision Making – This is a portal to learn about FDA resources and activities to integrate patient and caregiver input into regulatory decision-making and to provide advice to product developers on methods of data collection, minimize burden of patient participation in research, and capture information from patients on preferences and treatment benefits, risks and burdens.