The Customer-Driven Playbook Share: Syndicode Date Published 10 May 2019 Categories Blog Reading Time 2-Minute Read We are extremely interested in our customers. By identifying the customer, you can ensure the team has a shared understanding of whom you’re targeting. More on the topic is written in the Customer-Driven Playbook by Jessica Rich that we are going to share with you today. The author suggests that “customers don’t simply use products, they hire products to complete a job for them”. We selected the key points of the playbook for you: To remain objective about your assumptions, write hypotheses that can be tested with customer feedback. Each stage of the Hypothesis Progression Framework includes a hypothesis template that helps you formulate your assumptions into hypotheses. Each template is composed of parameters; some are shared throughout the framework, while others are unique to a specific stage. The job-to-be-done parameter, shared throughout the framework, is inspired by Clayton Christensen’s Job Theory. An invalidated hypothesis is just as valuable as one that has been validated. They prevent you from making costly mistakes or heading in the wrong direction. Writing hypotheses and validating them with customer data is about reducing risk in your product decision-making. By doing this, you can increase your confidence that you’re heading in the right direction. Hypotheses should be specific. Including characteristics like the type of customer, tasks, and frustrations will give you specific details that can help you make informed decisions. You need to separate the person from the behavior you’re trying to observe. Your hypotheses should have measurable criteria so that they can be effectively tested. A great hypothesis focuses on the customer’s limitations, not your own. It’s important that you don’t inject your technical or political limitations into the customer’s experience. We recommend finding more interesting examples and descriptions here. By the way, Syndicode is looking for a Middle Project Manager! Use your opportunity to become a valuable part of our growing team at Kyiv!