This document discusses guerrilla validation, which is a method for validating a product idea with real customers in a short period of time with no budget. It recommends getting the product concept on paper quickly, then getting out to test it by finding potential customers through your own network, online, and by contacting them directly. The key is having conversations to understand if customers have problems your idea could solve and if they would buy it. Ten conversations can provide valuable insights to determine if the idea is worth pursuing further.

1. Guerrilla Validation
How to Validate Your Idea with
Real Customers in 54 Hours
(With No Budget)
Jim Semick, Product Discovery
Santa Barbara Startup Weekend, November 2012

2. You have an idea.
(…and it’s GREAT.)

4. What the %#$@ is Customer
Validation and how am I
supposed to get it?

5. EVIDENCE from REAL customers
Does your product
solve a problem?
Will anyone buy it?

6. Does anyone care?

7. Guerrilla Validation:
Get Ready for Battle

8. Who is your
Get Your Product customer?
Concept on What are their
problems?
Paper…Fast How does your idea
solve those
problems?

9. Most of this is an ASSUMPTION
(and may be wrong)

10. Get Out to Test It

11. Where Do I Find
Customers?

12. Start with
Your Own
Network

13. Find Others
Online
Then Call or
Email Them

14. Stalk them
at Starbucks

15. Guerrilla
Validation
Secrets

16. People Want to Help

17. The first conversation is hard.
The second is easier.

18. Think like a
scientist.
Ask “Why”

19. “Will You Buy this?”

20. Have Fun

21. 10 conversations is
easier than you think.
And you will be
infinitely smarter.

22. You Can Do It!
www.productdiscovery.com
jim@productdiscovery.com