The Discussion Forums experiment involves analyzing conversations in online forums where potential customers discuss their needs, challenges, and preferences. This method is valuable for gathering authentic, unsolicited insights directly from the target audience.
Cost
The primary expense is the time required to find, monitor, and analyze relevant forums. Optional tools for data scraping or monitoring may add costs.
Evidence
- Evidence Strength 3: Recurring patterns of workarounds or solutions customers create to meet unmet needs.
- Evidence Strength 2: Feature requests, as they require further validation of underlying customer jobs or pains.
Metrics
- Frequency of workarounds or "hacks"
- Top feature requests
- Mention of unmet jobs, pains, and gains
Success Criteria
- Identify at least three recurring customer workarounds or unsolved jobs.
- Detect a significant number of threads indicating a common need.
Setup Time
Time is needed to identify relevant forums and define key questions for analysis.
Run Time
Manual analysis might take longer but can be expedited with automation tools.
Risk Categories
Ideal for testing the...
Ideal for exploring Desirability aspects of the Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas. Not suitable for feasibility or viability testing.
Setup
- Identify forums to analyze (e.g., internal company forums, competitors’ forums).
- Define questions to address, such as:
- Are we missing top customer jobs?
- Are major pains unaddressed?
- Are there frequent customer workarounds?
- Prepare tools for capturing and organizing data (e.g., screenshots, spreadsheets).
Run
- Search forums using relevant keywords (e.g., “workarounds,” “help needed”).
- Take notes and screenshots of relevant discussions.
- Document tone, urgency, and recurring patterns.
Analyze
- Review findings and update your Value Proposition Canvas.
- Reach out to forum participants for deeper interviews if possible.
- Design follow-up experiments to validate insights.
Additional Information