(2017-08-17) Maurya The Updated Problem Interview Scriptand A New Canvas

Ash Maurya: The Updated Problem Interview Script (and a new Canvas). Inspired by the Scientific Method, the search for Problem/Solution fit starts with creating a model — specifically a business model using a Lean Canvas.

The script starts out by setting the stage and setting a problem context, but the heart of the interview is around exploring your customer’s worldview because that’s where you gather empirical evidence that either supports or refutes your case.

The only reliable way to gather this evidence is by exploring what customers did in the past or will do in the present. Asking them what they’ll do in the future, e.g. “Will you use…”, puts you in the land of biases and should be avoided.

If you gather evidence that supports your problem assumptions (validation), you can pat yourself on the back and move to the next step of defining and testing a solution with a Solution Interview:

If, however, you don’t uncover evidence that supports your assumptions (invalidation), you have to dig deeper for new problems worth solving. This is where people stumble.

Most of us unconsciously frame (or fake) problems around the solution we already want to build

Limiting the problem context upfront limits your maneuverability and it’s quite possible to leave the interview without any actionable problems to go after.

This is why I updated the Problem Interview script.

First, let’s talk about what I took out. Problem Rankings are subjective at best

Next, I refined the framing around early adopters and problems. Triggers versus demographics define your early adopters

During the problem interview, where discovery is the goal, a better framing is around triggers and desired outcomes.

Triggers and desired outcomes create the consideration set your customers use to search for alternatives and select solutions

When you frame the context in terms of outcomes and jobs-to-be-done, versus solutions, you should always be able to find existing alternatives.

Inertia, Friction, and Next Summit

For each solution (starting with their most recent), you want to get the customer’s story on how they found, selected, used the solution, and what’s the next goal for them

Inertia represents obstacles and roadblocks that hold the customer back at the time of choosing a new solution.

Friction represents obstacles and roadblocks that get in the way during usage.

The last step is assessing how well the job was done with their chosen alternative

The answers to these questions is where you’ll find problems worth solving. I call this the backdoor approach to problem discovery because you don’t lead with problems but rather extract them from customer stories.