Create open-ended questions to begin customer development

Practice writing open-ended questions. Mrs. Antokas had a brilliant idea. She wanted to start a business called "Away Valet" Away Valet will help people who have to leave their house for a short or long period of time and need someone to keep an eye on it. Your personal valet will be available to accept packages, walk through the house, water plants, take care of pets that had to stay home, etc. Mrs. Antokas doesn't know if this is a viable idea so she has to test her assumptions. She does that by interviewing people and asking them questions. Your job is to write three open ended questions for Mrs. Antokas. Then chose a chose a partner. Your partner will pretend to be the person who needs Away Valet. If you ask them the question and they respond with a yes or no, rewrite it to be an open ended question.

Its time to start asking around about your own business idea. At this point, you want to validate whether its worth pursuing. To do so, we are going to begin developing very general open ended questions which are questions that don't lend themselves to a "yes" or "no" answer.

Write down your assumtions (at least three)

Open ended questions prompt discussion. The more your interviewee talks, the more you're going to learn about their wants and needs. Open-ended questions should lead to other open ended questions. Never stop asking questions. If you are trying to get to the heart of the matter, you should always ask at least four questions around the same subject. The truth will most likely come out at the end.

Start your open ended questions with one of the three following words:

1. What .....

2. How....

3. If....

Try and keep your questions to about 12 words.

New Line on Google Doc!

Being Entrepreneurial

To be an entrepreneur, you need to think or act like an entrepreneur. Begin by thinking of a start-up business. Start a Google Doc. On the Google Doc, start the following:

1. Your Name

2. The Name of your Business (See some tips below) , tag line, (see below to understand taglines), and logo (Google a free logomaker such as logo.com). Or, feel free to draw your logo and upload a picture of it. The picture should include your business name and tag line.

3. Describe the product or service you want to develop in as much detail as you can at this point. Think about some of the ideas we generated in class that solved problems or needs. Review the responses to your interviews to help. Answer the following questions:

a. What problem does your idea solve

b. Who are you solving this problem for?

c. Why does it matter to that person or group of people?

d. Is it a product or a service?

e. Who will make the product or perform the service?

f. What are the most important things you would need to get started?

g. Where might you look to get the things you need?

4. Write 7 things you need to do to start this idea and organize them into two categories: Category One is "I've got this" and Category Two is "I Need Help"

5. A description of your MVP and a picture

ADD-Line 6 of you Google Doc - Being Entrepreneurial is as follows:

You are now wondering whether your business idea is a good one. Form three open-ended questions that test your assumption about your business idea solving a person's wants or needs. Start them with the three words in the introduction. Then ask the question to two of your peers.

Start Line 6 in your Google Doc called "Testing My Assumptions" Write down the three questions and the responses of your peers. Include their names and ages. Include your analysis of your business idea as gathered from your interviews. List any ways you are going to pivot or iterate your original idea.