Customer Development
Also known as: The Four Steps to the Epiphany · Get Out of the Building
Discover and validate the customer and market before scaling — outside the building, not in a conference room.
A four-step process (customer discovery, validation, creation, company-building) that runs in parallel with product development to find a repeatable, scalable business model before committing to scale. The conceptual parent of Lean Startup.
Core concepts
Customer DiscoveryCustomer ValidationSearch vs Execute
Best when
- Entering a new market and unsure who the buyer is
- You suspect you are scaling before you have product-market fit
Watch-outs
- Heavy process for a tiny team
- Assumes you can reach real prospects cheaply