{"id":25085,"date":"2021-01-08T12:22:35","date_gmt":"2021-01-08T12:22:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/?post_type=section&#038;p=25085"},"modified":"2024-02-08T22:49:51","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T22:49:51","slug":"the-customer-discovery-process","status":"publish","type":"section","link":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/mixed-methods\/the-customer-discovery-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Customer Discovery"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"tts_content_wrapper_2\" >\n<p><em>Customer Discovery<\/em> is <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>an <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/epistemology\/empiricism\/\">empirical<\/a> research method used to develop commercial services, products, and applications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Key Concepts: <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/design\/\">Design<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/design\/design-thinking\/\">Design Thinking<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lean_product_development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lean Product Development<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/empirical-research-primary-research-scientific-research\/mixed-methods\/\">Mixed Research Methods<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/genre\/problem-definition\/\">Problem Definition<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/empirical-research-primary-research-scientific-research\/mixed-methods\/the-customer-discovery-process\/problem-scenario\/\">Problem Scenarios<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/\">Rhetoric<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/empirical-research-primary-research-scientific-research\/mixed-methods\/venture-design\/\">Venture Design<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/mixed-methods\/the-customer-discovery-process\/#Why_Does_Customer_Discovery_Matter\" title=\"Why Does Customer Discovery Matter?\">Why Does Customer Discovery Matter?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/mixed-methods\/the-customer-discovery-process\/#Steps_in_the_Customer_Discovery_Method\" title=\"Steps in the Customer Discovery Method\">Steps in the Customer Discovery Method<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/mixed-methods\/the-customer-discovery-process\/#Resources\" title=\"Resources\">Resources<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/mixed-methods\/the-customer-discovery-process\/#FAQs\" title=\"FAQs\">FAQs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/mixed-methods\/the-customer-discovery-process\/#Does_Customer_Discovery_require_IRB_approval\" title=\"Does Customer Discovery require IRB approval?\">Does Customer Discovery require IRB approval?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Does_Customer_Discovery_Matter\"><\/span>Why Does Customer Discovery Matter?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/empirical-research-primary-research-scientific-research\/mixed-methods\/the-customer-discovery-process\/\">Customer Discovery<\/a><\/em> is wildly popular in the startup community. This methodology traces its roots to <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Eric Ries&#8217; 1998 book, T<em>he Lean Startup<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/epistemology\/empiricism\/\">empiricism<\/a>, the philosophical school that traces knowledge making to observation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/\">rhetoric<\/a>, especially <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/textual-methods\/rhetorical-analysis\/\">rhetorical analysis<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-reasoning\/\">rhetorical reasoning<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Investigators (e.g, founders\/developers\/marketing consultants\/business consultants) engage in <em>customer discovery<\/em> in order to understand a customer&#8217;s problems and needs. In the literature on entrepreneurship,<em> Customer Discovery <\/em>presumes entrepreneurs should build not what they believe a customer needs but rather what the customer tells them they need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Steps_in_the_Customer_Discovery_Method\"><\/span>Steps in the Customer Discovery Method<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Customer Discovery<\/em> conceptualizes business development as <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/\">an empathetic, iterative, rhetorical process<\/a> based on empirical research involving a number of steps, depending on <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/occasion-exigency\/\">the exigency&#8211;the call to write<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">Investigators<\/a> choose a <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/empirical-research-primary-research-scientific-research\/mixed-methods\/the-customer-discovery-process\/problem-space\/\">problem space<\/a> to explore.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">Investigators<\/a> engage in <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/information-literacy\/information-literacy-perspectives-practices\/searching-as-a-strategic-exploration\/\">strategic searching<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/textual-methods\/\">textual research<\/a> to identify what is known about the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/occasion-exigency\/problem-space\/\">problem and solution space<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">Investigators<\/a> engage in customer discovery interviews and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/empirical-research-primary-research-scientific-research\/quantitative-methods\/survey-research\/\">survey research<\/a> in order to better understand the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/empirical-research-primary-research-scientific-research\/mixed-methods\/the-customer-discovery-process\/problem-space\/\">problem space<\/a>. They use <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/empirical-research-primary-research-scientific-research\/quantitative-methods\/survey-research\/\">surveys<\/a>, interviews, focus groups, etc., to understand the stakeholder&#8217;s s (e.g., clients, suppliers, partners) problems and needs\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">Investigators<\/a> analyze customer feedback to develop customer personas and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/empirical-research-primary-research-scientific-research\/mixed-methods\/the-customer-discovery-process\/problem-scenario\/\">problem scenarios<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">Entrepreneurs<\/a> rely on <em>customer discovery interviews<\/em> to develop new products and services. By listening to customers, by being open <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/\">to their perspective <\/a>and what they say, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">entrepreneurs<\/a> hope to develop new products and services that meet customers&#8217; needs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">Investigators<\/a> develop guesses about how to bring some <em>value<\/em> to a consumer. They then take these insights into developing a prototype, an MVP, a minimum viable product\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">Investigators<\/a> may share a visualization of an idea (e.g., wireframing for an app or an illustration of a new invention. They may build a conceptual model.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">Investigators<\/a> develop an empirical experiment. They give prototypes, MVPs, and versions of solutions to customers and ask them for critical feedback. They engage in usability studies to investigate best solutions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">Investigators<\/a> return to the customers (sometimes to previously interviewed people but more typically new customers). After listening to customers for a while, they conceptualize new services, applications, and products. They continually re-test findings. They develop and administer surveys.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-resources\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Resources\"><\/span>Resources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Steve_Blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steve Blank<\/a>, an entrepreneur and educator, has developed a stunning number of resources to support customer discovery. Blank views entrepreneurship as a scientific process: Entrepreneurs develop <em>business hypotheses<\/em> by listening to customers and considering the nine elements of the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/invention\/invention-heuristics\/the-business-model-canvas\/\">BMC (The Business Model Canvas)<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alexander Cowan, an entrepreneur and educator, provides robust resources on <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/empirical-research-primary-research-scientific-research\/mixed-methods\/venture-design\/\">the Venture Design Process<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs\"><\/span>FAQs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_Customer_Discovery_require_IRB_approval\"><\/span>Does Customer Discovery require IRB approval?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Because <em>customer discovery<\/em> is typically conducted by startups and intended to inform prototype development it does not typically require <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-ethics\/irb-institutional-review-board\/\">IRB oversight<\/a>. <em>Customer Discovery<\/em> uses one-on-one interviews; case study methods; focus groups; and usability studies to develop and test prototypes<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><br><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":14449,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[],"chapters":[2245,1904],"class_list":["post-25085","section","type-section","status-publish","hentry","chapters-mixed-methods","chapters-research"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/25085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/section"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/25085\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63158,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/25085\/revisions\/63158"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/14449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25085"},{"taxonomy":"chapters","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapters?post=25085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}