45-Day Problem Discovery Program
Find acute-enough and big-enough problems that are worth solving
Understand your customers better than they do.
If you can describe your customer’s problems better than they can, there is an automatic transfer of expertise — your customers start believing that you must also have the right solution for them. Marketer, Jay Abraham, calls this phenomenon the “Strategy of Pre-eminence”. You’ve probably experienced this at your doctor’s office. After receiving a successful diagnosis, you probably believed your doctor had figured out your ailment, and you rushed to fill the prescription they’d ordered — even though your doctor was simply following a systematic process of elimination by unpacking your symptoms using educated guessing. Deeply understanding your customers better than they do is the first step to building products and features your customers cannot refuse -- because they are met with instant problem/solution fit.
The problem with problems
While the idea of starting with problems before solutions is simple, doing this effectively can be quite challenging. You can’t simply ask customers to list their top problems because
- they often don't know. There’s a reason why people go to therapists. It often takes another person to go beyond surface problems and get to root causes.
- they may not want to tell you. If admitting to a problem makes your customers feel vulnerable or uncomfortable, unless they know you, like you, and trust you, they’ll deny having the problem.
- you’ll bias their responses. When you lead with a problem, you cast a spotlight on specific issues, which tends to exaggerate your customer’s response. It’s easy to miss the forest for the trees.
- they might give you a solution instead of a problem. Be wary, that even customers are prone to the Innovator’s Bias. When asked about a problem, they will often tell you their idea of how to solve the problem versus explore the problem fully with you. A mis-diagnosis here is a recipe for going down a rabbit hole.
- This is why surveys and focus groups fall short at the early stages of a product. They are validation, not discovery, tools. The best way to discover problems worth solving is through one-on-one customer interviews.
- But simply talking to customers is not enough. You have to know how.
Problem discovery is a skill
The good news is that problem discovery is a skill which means it can be learned. The fastest way to learn any skill is through deliberate practice, perceptual learning (e.g. using simulations), and rapid feedback.
- We break down problem discovery into 3 basic skills: Prospecting, conducting interviews, and capturing insights.
- We teach you step-by-step techniques for executing each skill which you'll get to practice using simulations we've designed.
- Once you've acquired a skill, you'll get to hone it further through real-world practice i.e. running customer interviews and capturing insights.
Idea Not Required
Working with existing ideas is often mired in existing biases, sunk cost fallacies, and a shroud of confidentiality — all of which limit teams from taking off their blinders and really see the world of possibility. In other words, our natural predisposition for falling in love with our solutions (innovator's bias) gets in the way of uncovering real problems worth solving.
It is for this reason, that we first teach you the skills of problem discovery by practicing them on products other than your own. Starting with a clean slate helps you check your constraints at the door — making it easier for you to see the world in a completely new way and rewire your foundational mindsets.
Once you learn to see the world differently, you can then readily apply this new lens to growing any existing product or launching a new product thereafter.
Who is this program for ?
- Students and working professionals aspiring to be entrepreneurs.
- Early-stage founders still searching for repeatable and scalable business models.
- Corporate innovators mandated to find new market opportunities.
- Product managers looking to launch new products or find additional revenue streams.
- Consultants and coaches working with new product development and digital transformation teams.
What will you learn?
Deconstruct your initial ideas(s) into one or more possible business models.
Prioritize the riskiest assaumptions to tackle first.
Avoid the most common pitfalls that trip early-stage products.
Stress-test your business model(s) for desirability, viability, and feasibility, before investing any significant resources.
Test whether your business model represents a big-enough problem worth solving.
Communicate your idea clearly and concisely to others (co-founders, advisors, investors) so they buy in.
Program Structure
In 45-Day PD, you learn by doing. The program is delivered over four online workshops (2 hours each) that run for 6 weeks. These workshops teach you the skills you need to acquire to deeply understand customers.
In between workshop sessions, you'll get to apply everything you learn using a battle-tested curriculum, online tools, and by way of running customer interviews.
Program Agenda
WEEK 1:
The Customer Forces Model
In this workshop, you'll learn the behavioral science of how customers buy and use products. We'll build on this model in subsequent workshops.
WEEK 2:
Running a Problem Discovery Sprint
This workshop breaks down the 3 steps for running effective customer interviews.
WEEK 3:
Unpacking Insights
We'll cover how to post-process your raw interview notes into actionable insights.
WEEK 4:
Stress Test Your Idea For Feasibility
In this workshop, you'll learn how to formulate a stage-based product launch and validation strategy using battle-tested recipes.
WEEK 4:
Advanced Tactics
Interviewing is a skill that gets better with more practice. We'll discuss more advanced techniques for running interviews.
Program Overview
Delivered 100% online in multiple time.
Attend from anywhere.
4 weekly workshops.
2 hours each.
Learn by doing.
Design your business model.
Online tools.
Put your learnings to practice.
Community support.
Discussions and private forums.
Private coaching.
Get feedback on your business model.
Still, have questions? Request a FREE demo
If you have requested the PD program demo, it will be delivered to you shortly.
In the meanwhile, get started with our free resources
Includes:
Courses:
1) Innovation Foundations &
2) Business Model Design
Tools:
1) Lean Canvas (Business Modeling Tool)
2) Traction Roadmap
Bonus:
Live interactive workshop on making the best use of the FREE resources
