Contrasting customer discovery methods (Google Forms vs. In-person conversations).
In 2023, OneAnt was just a blueprint of a group buying platform.
To develop it into a startup, I researched a single audience (immigrant Canadian locals) facing a single problem (expensive groceries) using two separate methods.
These two research methods pointed to opposing conclusions.
It surprised me to see how using a research method prone to bias can distort our understanding of our audience’s needs:
▶️ Research method #1: I used a Google form
I shared a market-research form with immigrant Canadian residents who I knew through friends and friends of friends. The responses I collected indicated that the immigrant locals prioritized buying apparel, gadgets, and groceries— in that order.
I concluded that groceries are the least preferred category for discounts and group buying.
In this ‘Google forms method’, the respondents knew my objective behind asking the questions in the beginning itself, and it created a bias in their minds.
An year later, I used research method #2: In-person conversations
As I started speaking to immigrant Canadians in person, I realized something entirely different.
Groceries was a top priority category that was most preferred for discounts and group buying.
“Why this opposite conclusion?” I thought.
I clearly remember one of the 50+ in-person conversations.
I was speaking with a cab driver and I didn’t disclose that I am a founder and that I’m building a solution.
It was simple conversation about life as an immigrant, he got talking and he opened up.
In this ‘in-person conversations method’, I mentioned my reason for asking the questions only at the very end of the conversations. This left no room for bias.
The contrasting conclusion from not revealing the objective of my research made me realize that most people think customer discovery is about proving a hypothesis, but the truth is that it’s about uncovering insights.
Insights come from talking to people about their situation and not about our thoughts. They reveal solutions that can change people’s behavior and improve their lives.
In the book ‘The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you’, Rob Fitzpatrick shows how to get customer discovery right:
He shares examples of bad questions founders ask:
▶️Would you pay <amount> for a <product>?
▶️Do you think <solution> is a good idea?
He also shares examples of good questions to ask instead:
▶️Why do you bother about <problem>?
▶️What are the implications of that?
▶️Talk me through the last time that happened.
▶️What did you do or want to do then?
The message is simple—
Market research becomes more effective when you don’t reveal your objective for asking. Speak to people naturally about their life instead of your idea because understanding your audience is about learning rather than proving.
Community kitchens in apartment complexes.