View
216
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 1/138
© 2015 COWAN+
VENTURE DESIGN CRASH COURSEPART I- SOLVING THE
RIGHT PROBLEM Alex Cowan
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 2/138
© 2015 COWAN+
ABOUT ME
Entrepreneur (5x)Intrapreneur (1x)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 3/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE VENTURE DESIGN PROCESS
S C A L E ?
P IV O T ?
PRODUCT &
PROMOTION
USER STORIES
& PROTOTYPES
CUSTOMER
DISCOVERY &
EXPERIMENTS
VALUE
PROPOSITIONS &
ASSUMPTIONS
S H O W
M E …
?
W H A T
I F ?
Is the problemrelevant? Is theproposition bettervs alternatives?
Do we understand
this person? Whatmakes them tick?
Did theimplementationdeliver on the story?
Was the implementedstory relevant to theproposition?
How did the customer /user react?
WHO ?
PERSONAS
W H A T ?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 4/138
© 2015 COWAN+
www.alexandercowan.com
ABOUT ME
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 5/138
© 2015 COWAN+
ALEX COWAN
alexandercowan.com
@cowanSF
WHY WOULD THIS CLASS BE IMPORTANT TO YOU?
ScaleFriendly
Innovation
Friendly
$ !?
? ! ? ? ?
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 6/138
© 2015 COWAN+
WHY WOULD THIS CLASS BE IMPORTANT TO YOU?
$ !?
? ! ? ? ?
#1: Start with the
individual
#2: Anchor toproblems,
not solutions
#3: Become a better
storyteller
#7: Learn first,
scale second
#8: Find yourself,
then create new identities
#4: Circulate ideas
#5: Test early, test often
#6: Let ideas die
with dignity
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 7/138
© 2015 COWAN+
4. HOW WILL WE WORK TOGETHER?
time
a l t e r n a t i v e s
divergence convergence
source: adapted from ‘The Design of Everyday Things’
generate
divergent ideas
(by working
individually)
converge the best
of what you’ve
created (as a
group)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 8/138
© 2015 COWAN+
HOW WILL WE WORK TOGETHER?Finding the Right
PROBLEM
time
a l t e r n a t i v e s
divergence convergence
Finding the RightSOLUTION
divergence convergence
source: adapted from ‘The Design of Everyday Things’
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 9/138
© 2015 COWAN+
WHAT WORK WILL WE DO?Finding the Right
PROBLEMFinding the Right
SOLUTION
time
a l t e r n a t i v e s
divergence convergence divergence convergence
source: adapted from ‘The Design of Everyday Things’
User Stories
PersonasProblems
Alternatives
Field
Discovery
Value Hypothesis &
Assumptions
Product
Hypothesis
Software
Prototypes
Experiments on Motivation
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 10/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE VENTURE DESIGN PROCESS
S C A L E ?
P IV O T ?
PRODUCT &
PROMOTION
USER STORIES
& PROTOTYPES
CUSTOMER
DISCOVERY &
EXPERIMENTS
VALUE
PROPOSITIONS &
ASSUMPTIONS
S H O W
M E …
?
W H A T
I F ?
Is the problemrelevant? Is theproposition bettervs alternatives?
Do we understand
this person? Whatmakes them tick?
Did theimplementationdeliver on the story?
Was the implementedstory relevant to theproposition?
How did the customer /user react?
WHO ?PERSONAS
W H A T ?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 11/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE VENTURE DESIGN PROCESS
Do we understand
this person? Whatmakes them tick?
WHO ?PERSONAS
W H A T ?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 12/138
© 2015 COWAN+
The Twin Anti-Poles of Design Failure
Doing precisely what the user asks
Assuming you know what’sbest and ignoring the user
! " # $ %
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 13/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKINGFinding the Right
PROBLEMFinding the Right
SOLUTION
time
a l t e r n a t i v e s
divergence convergence divergence convergence
source: adapted from ‘The Design of Everyday Things’
User Stories
PersonasProblems
Alternatives
Field
Discovery
Value Hypothesis &
Assumptions
Product
Hypothesis
Software
Prototypes
Experiments on Motivation
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 14/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING- WHY IS IT HARD?
Design Thinking
Now
Survival
Then
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 15/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING- FOUNDATIONS
Empathy Creativity
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 16/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING- FOUNDATIONS
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 17/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING- FOUNDATIONS
Entry1
Urinate as they go2
Edges preferred3
Speedy4
PB > cheese5
Empathy
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 18/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE PRACTICE OF DESIGN THINKING- FOUNDATIONS
1
2
3
4
5
Check & Repair
UV Validation
Relevant Placement
A Better Mouse Trap
Powered by Better Bait
Creativity
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 19/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE VENTURE DESIGN PROCESS- PERSONAS
Do we understand
this person? Whatmakes them tick?
WHO ?PERSONAS
W H A T ?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 20/138
© 2015 COWAN+
DESIGN THINKING: EMPATHY & PERSONAS
ALEX COWAN
alexandercowan.com
@cowanSFbit.ly/2persona
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 21/138
© 2015 COWAN+
DESIGN THINKING: EMPATHY & PERSONAS
ALEX COWAN
alexandercowan.com
@cowanSFbit.ly/2persona
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 22/138
© 2015 COWAN+
• Women
• Age 28-45
• Has kids
• Socialize with other mom’s
• Online with Facebook
• 86% said they’d like to be moreorganized
• 70% said they’d use an application that organizes them
PERSONA: BAD
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 23/138
© 2015 COWAN+
Bullet points are almost never
vivid or detailed
Stock photo- not real
This is a huge population-
not exact
These responses are ‘fake actionable’-
survey responses like this areunreliable
PERSONA: BAD
• Women
• Age 28-45
• Has kids
• Socialize with other mom’s
• Online with Facebook
• 86% said they’d like to be moreorganized
• 70% said they’d use an application that organizes them
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 24/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE ART OF CUSTOMER DISCOVERY
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 25/138
© 2015 COWAN+
Mary is a mom by choice. She had a successful career in
accounting, but welcomed the opportunity to be a stay at home
mom. She loves it. But it’s not like having kids purged hercreative, social instincts. She wants to connect, she wants to
learn, she wants to interact. Being a mom is a job and she wants
to do it well. That means corresponding with other mom’s on
child education and keeping track of what works. She posts to
Facebook at least twice a week and responds to other moms’
items more often than that.She has a few blogs and publications she reads regularly…
Mary the Mom
PERSONA: BETTER
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 26/138
© 2015 COWAN+
the use of a first name helps w/
vividness (a little)
these full sentences look like a good
start towards something vivid and
detailed
this is a real photo of a relevant
person taken with an iPhone in the
real world
PERSONA: BETTER
Mary is a mom by choice. She had a successful career in
accounting, but welcomed the opportunity to be a stay at home
mom. She loves it. But it’s not like having kids purged hercreative, social instincts. She wants to connect, she wants to
learn, she wants to interact. Being a mom is a job and she wants
to do it well. That means corresponding with other mom’s on
child education and keeping track of what works. She posts to
Facebook at least twice a week and responds to other moms’
items more often than that.She has a few blogs and publications she reads regularly…
Mary the Mom
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 27/138
© 2015 COWAN+
ivid
eal
ctionable
dentifiable
xactetailedE
RAV
D
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 28/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE- PERSONA CREATION
Mary the Working Mom
Susan the Stay-at-Home Mom
Douglas the Dad
Nathan the Nanny
Ivan the Infant
…
List at least 3 personas
(4 min)
use 1 index card/ persona
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 29/138
© 2015 COWAN+
Day in the LifeWe look at a few photos for a given persona (not a full picture, just snippets)
You make some guesses about them
There are no right answers BUT
There is a right process: observe and infer
OBJECTIVE:Get a feel for what’s real; start to create something vivid
A LITTLE GAME FOR BETTER PERSONA DISCOVERY
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 30/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 31/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 32/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 33/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 34/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 35/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 36/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 37/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 38/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 39/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 40/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 41/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 42/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- ‘THINKS’?
Thinks: (The cognitive part. Often: the tension between how they’d ideally like things to be and how they are now.)
Sees
Feels
Does
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 43/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXAMPLE- ENABLE QUIZ & HELEN THE HR MANAGER
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 44/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development issomething they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole
thing started.
Sees
Feels
Does
Example: Helen the HR Manager
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 45/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE- DISCOVERING WHAT THEY THINKQuestion Form Examples Questions (‘Enable Quiz’)
Tell me about [yourself in the role of the persona]? - Tell me about being an HR manager?
- What do you most, least like about the job?
- What are the hardest, easiest parts of the job?
- I’ve heard [x]- does that apply to you?
Tell me about [your area of interest]? - Do you do screen new candidates? If not, who?
- Can you tell me about the last time? What was the trigger?
- Who else was involved? What was it like?
Tell me your thoughts about [area]? - How should it ideally be done?
- How is it actually done? Why?
Draft discovery questionsin the areas above
(If complete, convergewith your group)
(7 min)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 46/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development issomething they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole
thing started.
Sees
Feels
Does
Draft the ‘Think’ portion for your top persona (If done, converge with your group.)
(4 min)
Example: Helen the HR Manager
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 47/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CAN YOUR PERSONA DO THIS?
Capture
Attention
via Google
AdWord
Secure the
infamous
‘click through’
Engage Interest,
Desire on
landing page
Action,
onboarding,
retention
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 48/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CREATING AN ADWORD AD
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 49/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE: CREATE AN ADWORD AD: THINK ANGLE
1. Select keywords (put in Notes section)
2. Draft ad copyHow does the draft follow from your personas?
Are you speaking in the language your customers use?
Are you connecting with the THINK in your Think-See-Feel-Do?
(NO RULE AGAINST UPDATING YOUR PERSONA WHILE YOU DO THIS!)
Create at least one Google AdWords ad on the paper template- specificallyusing the ‘think’ angle on your persona
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 50/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- ‘SEES’?
Thinks: (The cognitive part. Often: the tension between how they’d ideally like things to be and how they are now.)
Sees: (The interactions that shape their Thinking- media, peers, education, training, casual observation.)
Feels
Does
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 51/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole thing
started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike. Helen sees thatonline learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill, there’s a number of highquality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize select into these courses.
Feels
Does
Example: Helen the HR Manager
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 52/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE- DISCOVERING WHAT THEY SEEQuestion Form Examples Questions (‘Enable Quiz’)
Tell me about [yourself in the role of the persona]? - Tell me about being an HR manager?
- What do you most, least like about the job?
- What are the hardest, easiest parts of the job?
- I’ve heard [x]- does that apply to you?
Tell me about [your area of interest]? - Do you do screen new candidates? If not, who?
- Can you tell me about the last time? What was the trigger?
- Who else was involved? What was it like?Tell me your thoughts about [area]? - How should it ideally be done?
- How is it actually done? Why?
What do you see in [area]? Where do you learn what’s new? What others do? Who do you think is doing it right?How did you make your last decision?
Draft discovery questions
in the areas above(If complete, convergewith your group)
(4 min)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 53/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole thing
started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike. Helen sees thatonline learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill, there’s a number of highquality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize select into these courses.
Feels
Does
Draft the ‘See’ portion for your top persona. (If done, converge with your group.)Example: Helen the HR Manager
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 54/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE: CREATE AN ADWORD AD: SEE ANGLE
1. Select keywords (put in Notes section)
2. Draft ad copyHow does the draft follow from your personas?
Are you speaking in the language your customers use?
Are you connecting with the SEE in your Think-See-Feel-Do?
(NO RULE AGAINST UPDATING YOUR PERSONA WHILE YOU DO THIS!)
Create at least one Google AdWords ad on the paper template- specificallyusing the ‘see’ angle on your persona
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 55/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- ‘FEELS’?
Thinks: (The cognitive part. Often: the tension between how they’d ideally like things to be and how they are now.)
Sees: (The interactions that shape their Thinking- media, peers, education, training, casual observation.)
Feel: (The emotional driver. What are the predominant emotions around the relevant activity? What is the emotional outcome of the actions they take around the activity?)
Does
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 56/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole thing
started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike. Helen sees that
online learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill, there’s a number of high
quality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize select into these courses.
Feels: Helen feels like crap whenever they have to let someone go. She hates it. The employee hates it. The manager hates it. It’s
incredibly destructive and de-motivating for everyone involved. Helen would love to be more involved, more included infunctional skills evaluation and improvement. She’s love to have a success story to talk about. Most HR departments don’t do awhole lot in this area.
Does
Example: Helen the HR Manager
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 57/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE- DISCOVERING WHAT THEY FEELQuestion Form Examples Questions (‘Enable Quiz’)
Tell me about [yourself in the role of the persona]? - Tell me about being an HR manager?
- What do you most, least like about the job?
- What are the hardest, easiest parts of the job?
- I’ve heard [x]- does that apply to you?
Tell me about [your area of interest]? - Do you do screen new candidates? If not, who?
- Can you tell me about the last time? What was the trigger?
- Who else was involved? What was it like?Tell me your thoughts about [area]? - How should it ideally be done?
- How is it actually done? Why?
What do you see in [area]?Where do you learn what’s new? What others do?
Who do you think is doing it right?
How did you make your last decision?
How do you feel about [area]?Tell me about the last time?
What motivates you? What parts of it are most rewarding? Why?
What would it be like in your perfect world?
Draft discovery questionsfor the ‘feel’ area
(If complete, convergewith your group)
(4 min)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 58/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole thing
started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike. Helen sees that
online learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill, there’s a number of high
quality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize select into these courses.
Feels: Helen feels like crap whenever they have to let someone go. She hates it. The employee hates it. The manager hates it. It’s
incredibly destructive and de-motivating for everyone involved. Helen would love to be more involved, more included infunctional skills evaluation and improvement. She’s love to have a success story to talk about. Most HR departments don’t do awhole lot in this area.
Does
Draft the ‘Feel’ portion for your top persona. (If done, converge with your group.)Example: Helen the HR Manager
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 59/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE: CREATE AN ADWORD AD: FEEL ANGLE
1. Select keywords (put in Notes section)
2. Draft ad copyHow does the draft follow from your personas?
Are you speaking in the language your customers use?
Are you connecting with the FEEL in your Think-See-Feel-Do?
(NO RULE AGAINST UPDATING YOUR PERSONA WHILE YOU DO THIS!)
Create at least one Google AdWords ad on the paper template- specificallyusing the ‘feel’ angle on your persona
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 60/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- ‘FEELS’?
Thinks: (The cognitive part. Often: the tension between how they’d ideally like things to be and how they are now.)
Sees: (The interactions that shape their Thinking- media, peers, education, training, casual observation.)
Feel: (The emotional driver. What are the predominant emotions around the relevant activity? What is the emotional outcome of the
actions they take around the activity?)
Do: The ‘actuals’. As applicable: What triggers? How often? For how long? How much money?
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 61/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole thing
started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike. Helen sees that
online learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill, there’s a number of high
quality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize select into these courses.
Feels: Helen feels like crap whenever they have to let someone go. She hates it. The employee hates it. The manager hates it. It’s
incredibly destructive and de-motivating for everyone involved. Helen would love to be more involved, more included in functional
skills evaluation and improvement. She’s love to have a success story to talk about. Most HR departments don’t do a whole lot in
this area.
Does: Helen’s relatively responsive to new ideas, particularly if someone knowledgeable is willing to come in and talk about it. Ifshe likes it, she’ll bring it to the functional managers, who are usually the ultimate decision makers since without their supportshe can’t get the system online and working. Post-sale, Helen will help keep the program organized, moving, and otherwise on
the functional managers radar. All this is predicated on Helen being equipped with the right messages, facts, and best practices to make the purchase and use of Enable Quiz effective.
Example: Helen the HR Manager
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 62/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE- DISCOVERING WHAT THEY DOQuestion Form Examples Questions (‘Enable Quiz’)
Tell me about [yourself in the role of the persona]? - Tell me about being an HR manager?
- What do you most, least like about the job?
- What are the hardest, easiest parts of the job?
- I’ve heard [x]- does that apply to you?
Tell me about [your area of interest]? - Do you do screen new candidates? If not, who?
- Can you tell me about the last time? What was the trigger?
- Who else was involved? What was it like?Tell me your thoughts about [area]? - How should it ideally be done?
- How is it actually done? Why?
What do you see in [area]?Where do you learn what’s new? What others do?
Who do you think is doing it right?
How did you make your last decision?
How do you feel about [area]?
Tell me about the last time?
What motivates you? What parts of it are most rewarding? Why?
What would it be like in your perfect world?
What do you do in [area]?How many new openings/quarter?How many interviews/position?
Draft discovery questionsfor the ‘do’ area
(If complete, convergewith your group)
(4 min)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 63/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS- THINK SEE FEEL DO
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional development is
something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged enough to get the whole thing
started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike. Helen sees that
online learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill, there’s a number of high
quality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize select into these courses.
Feels: Helen feels like crap whenever they have to let someone go. She hates it. The employee hates it. The manager hates it. It’s
incredibly destructive and de-motivating for everyone involved. Helen would love to be more involved, more included in functional
skills evaluation and improvement. She’s love to have a success story to talk about. Most HR departments don’t do a whole lot in
this area.
Does: Helen’s relatively responsive to new ideas, particularly if someone knowledgeable is willing to come in and talk about it. Ifshe likes it, she’ll bring it to the functional managers, who are usually the ultimate decision makers since without their supportshe can’t get the system online and working. Post-sale, Helen will help keep the program organized, moving, and otherwise on
the functional managers radar. All this is predicated on Helen being equipped with the right messages, facts, and best practices to make the purchase and use of Enable Quiz effective.
Draft the ‘Do’ portion for your top persona. (If done, converge with your group.)Example: Helen the HR Manager
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 64/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE: CREATE AN ADWORD AD: DO ANGLE
1. Select keywords (put in Notes section)
2. Draft ad copyHow does the draft follow from your personas?
Are you speaking in the language your customers use?
Are you connecting with the DO in your Think-See-Feel-Do?
(NO RULE AGAINST UPDATING YOUR PERSONA WHILE YOU DO THIS!)
Create at least one Google AdWords ad on the paper template- specificallyusing the ‘do’ angle on your persona
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 65/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
Do we understand this person? What
makes them tick?
WHO ?PERSONAS
W H A T
?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 66/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 67/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
XPROBLEM SCENARIO
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 68/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
XWhat job(s) are you doing for the
customer?
What existing need or behavior
are you fulfilling?
PROBLEM SCENARIO
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 69/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
X
?
PROBLEM SCENARIO
ALTERNATIVE(S)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 70/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
X
?If they currently use
spreadsheets, watch them use it
and get a copy of it.If they currently put notes on the family
fridge, ask about it, photograph it.
PROBLEM SCENARIO
ALTERNATIVE(S)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 71/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
X
It’s hard for the HR manager to send good notes on
candidates to the functional manager.(Too Detailed, A Feature vs. a Product/Venture)
‘Hiring technical talent is difficult.’
(Too Broad, Abstract)
‘Screening technical talent is difficult.’
(Probably About Right)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 72/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
X
?
PROBLEM SCENARIO
ALTERNATIVE(S)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 73/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
ALTERNATIVE(S)?
PROBLEM SCENARIOXProblem: Helen doesn't have a software
engineering background, so it's hard for her to
screen engineering candidates. She ends up
sending the functional manager too many
unqualified candidates. .
Alternative: She calls references and mostly ends
up taking their word for it.
Brainstorm Problem Scenario+Alternative Pairs.
(4 min)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 74/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE: CREATE AN ADWORD AD: PROBLEM SCENARIOS
1. Select keywords (put in Notes section)
2. Draft ad copyHow does the draft follow from your problem scenarios?
Are you speaking in the language your customers use?
(NO RULE AGAINST UPDATING YOUR PROBLEM SCENARIOS WHILE YOU DO THIS!)
Create at least one Google AdWords ad on the paper template- specificallyusing the your top problem scenarios (and alternatives as you see fit)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 75/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
XPROBLEM SCENARIO
?ALTERNATIVE(S)
YOUR VALUE PROPOSITIONS !
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 76/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
XPROBLEM SCENARIO
?ALTERNATIVE(S)
YOUR VALUE PROPOSITIONS !Are they better enough than the
alternative(s)?
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 77/138
© 2015 COWAN+
PERSONAS & PROBLEM SCENARIOS
ALTERNATIVE(S)?
PROBLEM SCENARIOXProblem: Helen doesn't have a software
engineering background, so it's hard for her to
screen engineering candidates. She ends upsending the functional manager too many
unqualified candidates. .
Alternative: She calls references and mostly ends
up taking their word for it.
Value Proposition: New ability for meaningful
screening of technical candidates, increasing % of
successful hires and lowering Frank the Functional
Manager's workload on recruiting.
Brainstorm Problem Scenario+Alternative Pairs.(If done, converge with yourgroup.)
(4 min)
YOUR VALUEPROPOSITIONS!
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 78/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXERCISE: CREATE AN ADWORD AD: VALUE PROPOSITIONS
1. Select keywords (put in Notes section)
2. Draft ad copyHow does the draft follow from your value propositions?
Are you speaking in the language your customers use?
(NO RULE AGAINST UPDATING YOUR PROBLEM SCENARIOS WHILE YOU DO THIS!)
Create at least one Google AdWords ad on the paper template- specificallyusing the your top value propositions
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 79/138
© 2015 COWAN+
AND NOW THE ‘PRODUCT HYPOTHESIS’
X
?
!
… and they have a certain
PROBLEMS(S) …
… where they’re currently using certain
ALTERNATIVE(S) …
… and I have a VALUE PROPOSITION
that’s better enough than the alternatives
to cause the persona to act (purchase,
use, etc.).
A certain PERSONA exists…
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 80/138
© 2015 COWAN+
AND NOW THE ‘PRODUCT HYPOTHESIS’
… and they have a certain
PROBLEMS(S) …
… where they’re currently using certain
ALTERNATIVE(S) …
… and I have a VALUE PROPOSITION
that’s better enough than the alternatives
to cause the persona to act (purchase,
use, etc.).
A certain PERSONA exists…‘HR and functional managers are in charge of
technical hires
and they struggle to effectively screen for technical skill sets, making the hiring processslower and more labor intensive and producing
worse outcomes than they should reasonablyexpect.
Currently they implement a patchwork of callingreferences and asking a few probing questions.
By offering an easy, affordable, lightweight technical quizzing solution, Enable Quiz canacquire and retain these customer personas,delivering material value.’
Enable Quiz example:
Draft your producthypothesis
(4 min)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 81/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 82/138
© 2015 COWAN+
RECORDING ON THE BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS
Why do they buy? Who are they?
Broad Selection
Competitive Prices
Convenience
Do-it-yourselfer’s
Casual Shoppers
Contractors
Example: Home Depot
Customer
SegmentsValue
Propositions
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 83/138
© 2015 COWAN+
RECORDING ON THE BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS
!"#$&'()#$*#+,-$,./-.,(0",1(,20#3,1'44'-$500(#6/0#'-78"2(,5*#),9:;<-='(0,.>#+,-$,:!'3#,&2+'=?'@ 0"#$*#+,-$,A3#$#0 "00=BCC
+(,20#3,+'44'-$:'(DC*#+,-$,$C6?7$2C9:;C '($,-.2*,00,(0' 1(,20#3,1'44'-$AEFE8,+'-.80(,,0A8/#0,9;;A82-G(2-+#$+'A12*#@'(-#2AHIE;JA<85:!", 0,4=*20,$ ",(, 2(, 42., 232#*26*, '- 0", $24, 11 *#+,-$, 0,(4$ 2$ 0", '(#D#-2* +2-32$:
!"#$% '%()*%)(+,
!-+.
/0(%1+($,
!-+.
2*%343%3+$,
!-+.
5+$#)(*+$,
!5+4+1)+ '%(+06$,
!")$%#6+(
5+70%3#1$839$,
!"8011+7$,
!:07)+
/(#9#$3%3#1$,
!")$%#6+(
'+;6+1%$,
!"#$&'() #$*#+,-$,. /-.,(0", 1(,20#3, 1'44'-$500(#6/0#'-78"2(, 5*#), 9:; <-='(0,. >#+,-$,: !' 3#,&2 +'=? '@0"#$*#+,-$,A 3#$#0 "00=BCC
+(,20#3,+'44'-$ :'(DC*#+,-$,$ C6?7$2C9:;C '($ ,-. 2 *,00,(0' 1(,20#3, 1'44'-$A EFE 8,+'-. 80(,,0A 8/#0, 9;;A 82- G(2-+#$+'A 12*#@'(-#2A HIE;JA <85:!", 0,4=*20,$ ",(, 2(, 42., 232#*26*, '- 0", $24, 11 *#+,-$, 0,(4$ 2$ 0", '(#D#-2* +2-32$:
!"#$%&
!"#$%'!"#$%(
)*+$,-+%&
)*+$,-+%'
)*+$,-+%(
./$010$2%&
./$010$2%'
./$010$2%(
3-#"4+/-%&
3-#"4+/-%'
3-#"4+/-%(
3-1-,4-%&
3-1-,4-%'3-1-,4-%(
3-5*$0",#607%&
3-5*$0",#607%'
3-5*$0",#607%(
!6*,,-5%&
!6*,,-5%'
!6*,,-5%(
)+"7"#0$0",%&
)+"7"#0$0",%'
)+"7"#0$0",%(
8-9:-,$%&
8-9:-,$%'
8-9:-,$%(
1. List Prioritized CustomerSegments/Personas
2. List Prioritized ValuePropositions
3. Note Linkages(if applicable)
(5 min)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 84/138
© 2015 COWAN+
DELIVERABLES FROM WHAT WE JUST DID
Personas, including
Think-See-Feel-Do – Problem Scenarios
– Alternatives
–Value Propositions
Do we understand this person? What
makes them tick?
WHO ?PERSONAS
W H A
T ?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES
– Interview Guide
– 2 (or more) Interviews
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 85/138
© 2015 COWAN+
WHAT WE’LL WORK ON TODAY
Finding the RightPROBLEM
Finding the RightSOLUTION
time
a l t e r n a t i v e
s
divergence convergence divergence convergence
source: adapted from ‘The Design of Everyday Things’
Personas
Problems
Alternatives
Field
Discovery
Value Hypothesis &
Assumptions
Product
Hypothesis
Experiments on Motivation
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 86/138
© 2015 COWAN+
DELIVERABLES FROM WHAT WE JUST DID
Do we understand this person? What
makes them tick?
WHO ?PERSONAS
W H A
T ?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 87/138
© 2015 COWAN+
WHAT WE’LL COVER TODAY
Do we understand this person? What
makes them tick?
WHO ?PERSONAS
W
H A T ?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES
VALUE
PROPOSITIONS &
ASSUMPTIONS
Do we understand this person? What
makes them tick?
WHO ?PERSONAS
W
H A T ?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES
CUSTOMER
DISCOVERY &
EXPERIMENTS
VALUE
PROPOSITIONS &
ASSUMPTIONS
W H A T
I F ?
Do we understand this person? What
makes them tick?
Was the implementedstory relevant to theproposition?
WHO ?PERSONAS
W
H A T ?
PROBLEM
SCENARIOS &
ALTERNATIVES
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 88/138
© 2015 COWAN+
AND NOW THE ‘PRODUCT HYPOTHESIS’
… and they have a certain
PROBLEMS(S) …
… where they’re currently using certainALTERNATIVE(S) …
… and I have a VALUE PROPOSITION
that’s better enough than the alternatives
to cause the persona to act (purchase,
use, etc.).
A certain PERSONA exists…‘HR and functional managers are in charge of
technical hires
and they struggle to effectively screen for technical skill sets, making the hiring processslower and more labor intensive and producing
worse outcomes than they should reasonablyexpect.
Currently they implement a patchwork of callingreferences and asking a few probing questions.
By offering an easy, affordable, lightweight technical quizzing solution, Enable Quiz canacquire and retain these customer personas,delivering material value.’
Enable Quiz example:
As a group, converge your product hypothesis
(5 min)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 89/138
© 2015 COWAN+
WORKING YOUR PRODUCT HYPOTHESIS
A certain PERSONA exists… PERSONA HYPOTHESIS
QUESTIONS
Does this person exist?
Can you identify them?
Do you understand them really well?
What do they think-see-feel-do in yourarea?
TOOLS
Photos
Think-See-Feel-Do
Discovery Interviews
Storyboards
Day in the Life Boards
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 90/138
© 2015 COWAN+
WORKING YOUR PRODUCT HYPOTHESIS
… and they have a certain
PROBLEMS(S) …
… where they’re currently using certainALTERNATIVE(S) …
PROBLEM HYPOTHESIS
QUESTIONS
Have you identified a discrete problem/need?
How important is it to the target
persona(s)?What alternatives do they use today? How?
TOOLS
Problem Scenario + Alternative + ValueProposition Trios
Discovery InterviewsStoryboards
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 91/138
© 2015 COWAN+
WORKING YOUR PRODUCT HYPOTHESIS
… and I have a VALUE PROPOSITION
that’s better enough than the alternatives
to cause the persona to act (purchase,
use, etc.).
VALUE HYPOTHESIS
QUESTIONS
How much better than the best alternativeis your product?
How obvious is that to the customer?
TOOLS
Structured Assumptions
Structured Experiments (including MVP)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 92/138
© 2015 COWAN+
HYPOTHESIS-DRIVEN INNOVATION VIA ‘LEAN STARTUP’Do I have real evidence from my buyer that
this is compelling?01 IDEA!
What is our ‘value hypothesis’ and what areits key assumptions?
02 HYPOTHESIS
How do I definitely prove or disprove the
assumptions with a minimum of time andeffort?
03 EXPERIMENTAL DESIG N
04 EXPE RIM ENTATION
Am I reacting or am I focused onvalidating my pivotal assumptions?
‘Pivot or persevere?’
VALUEHYPOTHESISsource: adapted from ‘The Lean Startup’
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 93/138
© 2015 COWAN+
HYPOTHESIS-DRIVEN INNOVATION VIA ‘LEAN STARTUP’
What is our ‘value hypothesis’ and what areits key assumptions?
02 HYPOTHESIS
VALUEHYPOTHESIS
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 94/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXAMPLE: ENABLE QUIZ
Persona(s)Helen the HR Manager- responsible for sourcing and screening job candidates
Frank the Functional Manager- hiring manager responsible for acquiring and managing talent
ProblemScenario
Helen: hard to screen for technical skills
Frank: never has enough time for recruiting and doesn’t want to be a jerk during interviews
AlternativesHelen: call references, take their word for it (on skills)
Frank: ask a few probing questions
Value Prop. A lightweight quizzing app that has Helen can use to do quick, effective screening.
What is the core value hypothesis?
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 95/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXAMPLE: ENABLE QUIZ
Core Value Hypothesis
If Enable Quiz offers companies that hire
engineers lightweight technical quizzes that
screen job candidates for engineering positions,
then these companies would trial, use, adopt, andpay for such a service.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 96/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXAMPLE: ENABLE QUIZ
As a group, draft yourcore value hypothesis
If Enable Quiz offers companies that hire
engineers lightweight technical quizzes that
screen job candidates for engineering positions,
then these companies would trial, use, adopt, andpay for such a service.
As a group, converge your product hypothesis
(5 min)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 97/138
© 2015 COWAN+
UNBUNDLING THE VALUE HYPOTHESIS INTO ASSUMPTIONS
If we [do something] for [persona], they will [respond in a certain way]
Example Assumptions (Enable Quiz)
If we get HR managers to a landing page with a demo, 10% will sign up forour email product announcements.
If we create position-specific quizzes for HR managers, they’ll use them
~100% of the time and, after two positions, be willing to pay.
If we offer the service at [x] price with [y] supplemental assistance,companies that hire a lot of engineers will pay [z].
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 98/138
© 2015 COWAN+
TESTING YOUR ASSUMPTIONS VIA AN ‘MVP’
M
VP
inimum What is the fastest, cheapest
way to validate or invalidate
this option so we give
ourselves more options onfuture success?
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 99/138
© 2015 COWAN+
TESTING YOUR ASSUMPTIONS VIA AN ‘MVP’
iableWill it give us a definitive
result? What are theactionable metrics?
M
VP
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 100/138
© 2015 COWAN+
TESTING YOUR ASSUMPTIONS VIA AN ‘MVP’
roductDoes it really require actualproduct? Can we use
alternative brands, channels?
M
VP
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 101/138
© 2015 COWAN+
TESTING YOUR ASSUMPTIONS VIA AN ‘MVP’
roductiable
inimumis not necessarily actual software/product (seeconcierge MVP)
is a first and foremost learning vehicle …
vs. a project plan
(OK to do those things but always subordinate them to the learning mission)
vs. a product development project
M
VP
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 102/138
© 2015 COWAN+
UNBUNDLING THE VALUE HYPOTHESIS INTO ASSUMPTIONS
MVP Archetype Notes
Wizard of Oz Show or fake the customer experience
Concierge Hand create the user experience
Sales See if you can sell some.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 103/138
© 2015 COWAN+
UNBUNDLING THE VALUE HYPOTHESIS INTO ASSUMPTIONS
MVP Archetype Example Assumptions (Enable Quiz)
Wizard of Oz If we get HR managers to a landing page with a demo, 10% will sign up forour email product announcements.
Concierge
If we create position-specific quizzes for HR managers, they’ll use them
~100% of the time and, after two positions, be willing to pay.
SalesIf we offer the service at [x] price with [y] supplemental assistance,companies that hire a lot of engineers will pay [z].
If we [do something] for [persona], they will [respond in a certain way]
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 104/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CASE STUDY: DROPBOX
OPPORTUNITYUnderlying demand and supportinginfrastructure ready for a great file sharing app.
CHALLENGEBuilding a great cross-platform app. requiredVC funding. VC’s saw a space with lots ofexisting competitors struggling to get traction.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 105/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CASE STUDY: DROPBOX
PersonaTom the Techie- early adopter who works on projects that require swapping a lot of files between a shifting
network of collaborators.
ProblemScenario
It’s difficult to share files between a network of collaborators, particularly if they’re: big or numerous or change a
lot.
AlternativesMany existing products, but none of them super compelling and widely adopted.
Also, custom setup’s which work but are cumbersome to set up and maintain.
ValueHypothesis
If Dropbox created a file sharing service that truly felt transparent to the user across all major platforms- OSX, iOS,Windows, etc., then a mass market of users would prefer it over the alternatives, subscribe to it and use it over
time.
What Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?
That you can bootstrap?
That doesn’t require software at all?
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 106/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE WIZARD OF OZ MVP
Result: Excellent traction and
conversion to sign-up’s.
Strong validation signal.
Created a synthetic web demo tailoredfor early market (techies), promoted it,and measured email sign-up’s.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 107/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXAMPLE: ENABLE QUIZ
OPPORTUNITYHiring quality technical talent is critical formany companies, but screening for skill sets is
time consuming and awkward.
CHALLENGEThe founding team wants to bootstrap withoutexternal funding so they need to focus on aspecific technical domain, one that will get
them strong early traction.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 108/138
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 109/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE CONCIERGE MVP
Metrics:
Do the HR managers use them? How often?
Do they want one for their next open position?
Do the functional managers care?
Work with a set of HR managers to produceposition-specific quizzes by hand on paper (orGoogle Forms, etc.).
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 110/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXAMPLE: ENABLE QUIZ
A QUESTION?There are dozens of technical/engineer topicsEnable Quiz could offer. How can they assesswhich topics are most marketable?
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 111/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE GOOGLE ADWORDS MVP
Metrics:Which topics have the highest click-through rate (CTR)?
Which then convert to sign-up’s to newsletters, etc.?
Pair their qualitative research with topics trendingonline and then run a series of Google AdWordscampaigns with different topics.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 112/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CASE STUDY: LEONID SYSTEMS
OPPORTUNITY(2007) Major disruption and new productopportunities among telecom providers withintroduction of voice-over-IP and cloud
communications.
IT systems need to be rethought.
CHALLENGEAs a one-person startup, Leonid had actionable
ideas but not enough resources to execute anend-to-end solution.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 113/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CASE STUDY: LEONID SYSTEMS
Persona(s) Chris the CTO- has funding and mandate to transition the business towards hosted services; many bases to cover
ProblemScenario
IT is the most expensive, most risky area when making changes to the business.
Alternatives1) Place large, risky bets on major new system upgrades. 2) Make small incremental updates (but risk not keeping
pace).
Value
Hypothesis
Leonid will offer modular, integration-friendly applications in two critical areas: 1) services provisioning and 2) end
user self-service portals.
What Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?
That you can bootstrap?
That doesn’t require software at all?
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 114/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CASE STUDY: LEONID SYSTEMS
Started with consulting as a ‘concierge’ vehicle to create tactical solutions, focus problemscenarios, evolving to full-fledged product.
Result: Steady step-wise growth with
consistently better understanding of key
customer problem scenarios.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 115/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CASE STUDY: ZAPPOS
OPPORTUNITY(1999) An observed problem scenario around
the difficulty of finding the right shoe at localretail and a giant (but nascent) market in online
retail.
CHALLENGEConsumers still in the early stages of adoptingand habituating to online retail. Founder (NickSwinmurn) wanted to bootstrap.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 116/138
© 2015 COWAN+
Result:
It worked and the rest is history.
Photographed shoes and put them online toobserve whether anyone bought them.
CASE STUDY: ZAPPOS
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 117/138
© 2015 COWAN+
Persona(s) Sam the shoe-hound- knows what he wants but not where to get it.
ProblemScenario
Sam is unable to find the shoe he wants at local retailers, wasting time and getting frustrated.
Alternatives Possibly mail order or wait until he’s in a bigger market to go to the store.
Value
Hypothesis
Make the shoe Sam wants accessible online and make sure he has a great experience so he’ll come back and not
have to think about where to find the shoe he wants anymore.
What Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?
That you can bootstrap?
That doesn’t require software at all?
CASE STUDY: ZAPPOS
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 118/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CASE STUDY: SPRIG
Startup looking for early traction for investors:Whole Foods (deli) meets Uber.
OPPORTUNITYLarge opportunity to re-segment and disruptfood prep. and delivery business. Desire tomove fast and learn fast.
CHALLENGESome existing competitors and slow
fundraising process. Food prep. and deliveryrequires infrastructure.
source: as told to Lean Startup Circle, SF (Jan 2014)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 119/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CASE STUDY: SPRIG
Persona(s) Paula the Professional- health conscious, short on time, moderate to high income, already uses similar services
like Uber.Problem
ScenarioI want to have a nice, healthy dinner with no hassle and at a price I can afford (like $12).
Alternatives Going to the store or an expensive, take-out, or a slow delivery service (>20 minutes).
Value
HypothesisIf Sprig offers Paula a healthy meal like you would order a cab (on Uber), then she would use and reuse the service.
What Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?
That you can bootstrap?
That doesn’t require software at all?
* This is me interpolating/guessing on an item; not part of the Sprig team’s explanation.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 120/138
© 2015 COWAN+
THE CONCIERGE MVP
Result: Excellent traction and conversion to sign-up’s.
Strong validation signal.
Created a synthetic web demo tailored for earlymarket (techies), promoted it, and measured emailsign-up’s.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 121/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CASE STUDY: PAUL HOWE & ASSOCIATES
OPPORTUNITYFunded startup team rapidly iterating throughB2C concepts with lightweightexperimentation.
One idea: Some people would like to know howmuch their stuff is worth.
CHALLENGEIterate to a successful concept while the time
and money permits.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 122/138
© 2015 COWAN+
Persona ?
ProblemScenario
I have a lot of stuff around that I might want to sell and/or I’m just generally curious about how much it’s worth, how
much I’ve spent.*
Alternatives Going through credit card statements or receipts.
ValueHypothesis
If Paul Howe & Co. offered a service where you could quickly, automatically know how much your stuff is worth,
users would engage with such a service in large numbers.*
What Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?
That you can bootstrap?
That doesn’t require software at all?
* This is me interpolating/guessing on an item; not part of the Sprig team’s explanation.
CASE STUDY: PAUL HOWE & ASSOCIATES
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 123/138
© 2015 COWAN+
Result: They don’t care. Time to move on to thenext concept.
Get a few sign-up’s with access to email and bankaccount info. Review by hand on a concierge basisand compile a statement for them. Do they care?
CASE STUDY: PAUL HOWE & ASSOCIATES
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 124/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CASE STUDY: STEALTH PHOTO-SOCIAL STARTUP
OPPORTUNITYLots of exciting things happening in the photo-social space.
CHALLENGEThe team had several ideas but few resources.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 125/138
© 2015 COWAN+
Persona Existing poster of photos. Personas: Martha the Mom, Pat the Party Planner, Teresa the Teen Social Butterfly
ProblemScenario
[I want to do something interesting with my photos so that my social graph rewards me with interest and acclaim]
Alternatives Manually enhance photos, use alternative enhancers/amplifiers like Instagram
ValueHypothesis
If we offers Facebook users a way to [do something novel] with their photos, they will try the service and convert to
a paid version of the app.
What Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?
That you can bootstrap?
That doesn’t require software at all?
CASE STUDY: STEALTH PHOTO-SOCIAL STARTUP
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 126/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CASE STUDY: STEALTH PHOTO-SOCIAL STARTUP
ASSUMPTIONIf the user shares a photowith this treatment, theuser’s social network willlike and share the app’s
output
What MVP?
That you canbootstrap?
That doesn’t requiresoftware at all?
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 127/138
© 2015 COWAN+
CASE STUDY: STEALTH PHOTO-SOCIAL STARTUP
MVP
Create the target outputby hand (concierge style)
Does anyone care?
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 128/138
© 2015 COWAN+
ABOUT SOFTWARE, TESTING MOTIVATION, AND MVP’S
You have to put the magic in the software.
(Not the other way around)
Concierge and other non-software MVP’scan be pretty magical.
Find 100 people that are really into it and
you can probably grow.
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 129/138
© 2015 COWAN+
UNBUNDLING THE VALUE HYPOTHESIS INTO ASSUMPTIONS
MVP Archetype Example Assumptions (Enable Quiz)
Wizard of Oz If we get HR managers to a landing page with a demo, 10% will sign up forour email product announcements.
ConciergeIf we create position-specific quizzes for HR managers, they’ll use them
~100% of the time and, after two positions, be willing to pay.
SalesIf we offer the service at [x] price with [y] supplemental assistance,companies that hire a lot of engineers will pay [z].
If we [do something] for [persona], they will [respond in a certain way]
Individually, begin decomposing your core valuehypothesis into testable assumptions
Pair them with ideas for experimentation (includingMVP’s if applicable)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 130/138
© 2015 COWAN+
WHAT WE’LL WORK ON TODAY
Finding the RightPROBLEM Finding the RightSOLUTION
time
a l t e r n a t i v e s
divergence convergence divergence convergence
source: adapted from ‘The Design of Everyday Things’
Personas
ProblemsAlternatives
Field
Discovery
Value Hypothesis &
Assumptions
Product
Hypothesis
Experiments on Motivation
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 131/138
© 2015 COWAN+
UNBUNDLING THE VALUE HYPOTHESIS INTO ASSUMPTIONS
MVP Archetype Example Assumptions (Enable Quiz)
Wizard of Oz If we get HR managers to a landing page with a demo, 10% will sign up forour email product announcements.
ConciergeIf we create position-specific quizzes for HR managers, they’ll use them
~100% of the time and, after two positions, be willing to pay.
SalesIf we offer the service at [x] price with [y] supplemental assistance,companies that hire a lot of engineers will pay [z].
If we [do something] for [persona], they will [respond in a certain way]
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 132/138
© 2015 COWAN+
UNBUNDLING THE VALUE HYPOTHESIS INTO ASSUMPTIONS
MVP Archetype Example Assumptions (Enable Quiz)
Wizard of Oz If we get HR managers to a landing page with a demo, 10% will sign up forour email product announcements.
ConciergeIf we create position-specific quizzes for HR managers, they’ll use them
~100% of the time and, after two positions, be willing to pay.
SalesIf we offer the service at [x] price with [y] supplemental assistance,companies that hire a lot of engineers will pay [z].
If we [do something] for [persona], they will [respond in a certain way]
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 133/138
© 2015 COWAN+
YOUR VENTURE, THE EXPERIMENT
Component Notes
What assumption will this test? How?
What is/are the pivotal metric(s)?
What is the threshold for true (validated) vs.
false (invalidated)?
What will you do next if the result is true?
False?
How much time, money will it take to set up?
Roughly, what will it take for each individual
test? Subsequent tests?
Roughly, how long will it take for each test torun and produce definitive, actionable results?
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 134/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXAMPLE: ENABLE QUIZ CONCIERGE MVP
Component Notes
What assumption will this test? How?
If we create position-specific quizzes for HR managers, they’ll use them ~100% of
the time and, after two positions, be willing to pay.
If the HR managers use the quiz, they’ll send through <1/2 as many candidates.
If we offer the service at [x] price with [y] supplemental assistance, companies that
hire a lot of engineers will pay [z].
What is/are the pivotal metric(s)?
What is the threshold for true (validated) vs.
false (invalidated)?
[quizzes administered] / [candidates interviewed]
comparison on candidates screened out (historical)ability to sell
What will you do next if the result is true?
False?
True: Build a simple1.0
1 & 2 True: Look at customer creation hyp., value hypothesis
False: Consider value hyp., problem hyp.
How much time, money will it take to set up? see bit.ly/exp-test
Roughly, what will it take for each individual
test? Subsequent tests? see bit.ly/exp-test
Roughly, how long will it take for each test torun and produce definitive, actionable results?
see bit.ly/exp-test
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 135/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXAMPLE: ENABLE QUIZ ADWORDS MVP
Component Notes
What assumption will this test? How? If Enable Quiz offers its quizzing solution in the area of [x], customers will subscribe.
What is/are the pivotal metric(s)?
What is the threshold for true (validated) vs.
false (invalidated)?
absolute click-through-rate; we’d like to see >=2%
relative to CTR (on this basis we’ll select our top 10 topics)
What will you do next if the result is true?
False?
True (along with previous): Build a simple1.0 with selected topics.
False (all CTR’s <2%): Revise customer creation plan & test an alternate topic
assessment strategy
How much time, money will it take to set up? see bit.ly/exp-test
Roughly, what will it take for each individual
test? Subsequent tests? see bit.ly/exp-test
Roughly, how long will it take for each test torun and produce definitive, actionable results?
see bit.ly/exp-test
D ft t f i t t if
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 136/138
© 2015 COWAN+
EXAMPLE: ENABLE QUIZ CONCIERGE MVP
Component Notes
What assumption will this test? How?
If we create position-specific quizzes for HR managers, they’ll use them ~100% of
the time and, after two positions, be willing to pay.
If the HR managers use the quiz, they’ll send through <1/2 as many candidates.
If we offer the service at [x] price with [y] supplemental assistance, companies that
hire a lot of engineers will pay [z].
What is/are the pivotal metric(s)?
What is the threshold for true (validated) vs.
false (invalidated)?
[quizzes administered] / [candidates interviewed]
comparison on candidates screened out (historical)ability to sell
What will you do next if the result is true?
False?
True: Build a simple1.0
1 & 2 True: Look at customer creation hyp., value hypothesis
False: Consider value hyp., problem hyp.
How much time, money will it take to set up? see bit.ly/exp-test
Roughly, what will it take for each individual
test? Subsequent tests? see bit.ly/exp-test
Roughly, how long will it take for each test torun and produce definitive, actionable results?
see bit.ly/exp-test
Draft a set of experiments to verify your assumptions
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 137/138
© 2015 COWAN+
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Draft Project Personas, Problem Scenarios, and Alternatives (30-60 min).2. Draft Customer/User Discovery Questions (20-40 min.)
3. Complete at least Two (2) Subject Interviews (60-120 minutes)
4. Create Your Working Product Hypothesis (5-10 minutes)
5. Draft a Working Set of Assumptions Against Your Value Hypothesis (15-30
minutes)6. Design (an) Experiment(s) for Your Assumption(s) (30-60 minutes)
7/21/2019 Venture Design 1 Day Building the Right Solution
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/venture-design-1-day-building-the-right-solution 138/138
bit.ly/vdesignCheck outVenture Design
@cowanSFTwitter
acowan@alexandercowan.comGet in touch!
Use Customer DiscoveryHandbook bit.ly/cdhandbook
bit.ly/sw-classView this deck
FINI
Recommended