Step-by-Step Instructions

Click to print worksheet.

Problems it Solves

1. Is your solution the best solution?

You may have an idea already - perhaps you started this process with an idea in mind - of the solution you want to build. Now that you have all of this information from your customers, is your solution really the best solution?

Here, you are going to explore the entire space of potential solutions to identify and fully flesh out the best solution to the problems your customers have articulated.

2. Develop backup ideas

If it turns out your solution does not solve the problem your customers have, you'll generate a number of other ideas to test.

Keys to Creativity

Before we get started, there are some ground rules for this exercise.

In order to truly explore the full spectrum of possible solutions, you will need to think creatively. This may require you to use your brain in new ways: to think differently, so you can create differently.

Our brains like patterns and rules. We tend to gravitate towards certain ways of thinking without even noticing. If you want to create a product that will help your customers better, you will have to break those patterns. Breaking this pattern for others starts with breaking the pattern for yourself.

This exercise will ask you to think in impossible ways - to get the most out of it, you need to commit to it. Doing so can lead to unexpected - and truly innovative - places.

Rule #1: No bad ideas - quantity > quality

In this exercise I will ask you to brainstorm and let your mind run wild. It is really important to let your mind open - if you shut down an idea, you've shut down an entire path of ideas that could lead you somewhere important.

Commit to this:

No matter how weird, odd, or ridiculous the idea, it still goes down on paper.

Rule #2: Disruption breeds disruption

In this exercise you will be answering questions that at times may seem completely irrelevant to the solution that you are trying to develop. These questions are there to break any restrictions in your thinking.

Hopefully, for practical reasons, you live in a reality-based world where reason rules. However, in order to truly innovate, you need to step outside this world into the absurd. This is where creativity works its magic.

Somewhere between reality and absurdity lives innovation.

Solution Ideation

Take out your Solution Ideation worksheet. Make sure you have both sides in front of you.

Step 1

In your first step you will create a question that will set up the framework for this creative process.

Use the information from your previous exercises to fill in the blanks:

"How can we help [our customers] not feel [emotions] when they [encounter the problem]?"

You will use the Customer Problem and Emotions data you collected from analyzing your interviews to complete these blanks.

In my case, I would like to help my blog readers not feel overwhelmed when they use Lean Startup.

A note about not feeling:

It turns out, having a problem is not a problem in and of itself. That is, just because something is an objective problem, does not mean that you are motivated to change it.

For example, a broken finger nail isn't a problem in and of itself - it is simply a fact. It turns into a problem when having one makes you feel something uncomfortable. A hand model with a broken nail may feel self-conscious about her next photo shoot. A competitive rock climber may feel uncomfortable climbing with a broken nail.

In the same way, a broken arm isn't a problem - it's the feeling of pain that creates the problem, or the fear that it won't heal properly that drives someone to fix the problem.

Great solutions don't solve problems. They replace the uncomfortable emotion created by the problem.

During this exercise you'll ideate solutions that eliminate the negative emotions associated with the problems, and in doing so, address the root of the problem.

Step 2

With the goal of alleviating this uncomfortable experience for your customer, list out the first 5 solutions that come to mind. Perhaps these are ideas you've already had in mind or something that has arisen from the last few exercises.

Step 3

Next, you are going to step outside of your normal patterns of solution thinking.

Think about two solutions that are physically impossible.

These are solutions that are not available to us in this universe. For example, you might pull on time travel, magic, telekinesis, or something else from Sci-Fi or comic books.

Don't be afraid to let your mind go there.

Within these absurd ideas are nuggets of truth that can serve us in reality.

For me, I considered cloning Steve Blank so each founder could have their own personal expert coach, or going to the future to see how concepts are taught generations from now, and bringing those techniques back here.

Step 4

Now that you've gone into the physically impossible world, see if you can come up with 3 more ideas - realistic or otherwise - that were not part of your original thinking.

In my example, the idea of cloning Steven Blank contains a more universal idea of having personalized expert guidance for founders. That idea leads me to thinking about starting an online start-up school, or perhaps rethinking the way mentoring is provided.

Similarly, within the desire to bring innovative teaching ideas back from the future is simply the idea of finding new ways to discover innovative teaching. Perhaps I can invite more ideas for teaching start-up concepts by creating an Open Source company and encouraging a universal dialogue around these principles.

Remember, there are no bad ideas. The more you get down on paper, the closer you are to that disruptive, innovative idea that will truly help your customers.

Step 5

This time, you will come up with illegal solutions. Again, let your mind go to the absurd and see where it takes you.

In my case, blackmailing Eric Reis or hacking Apple seemed like the most natural solutions to the problems.

Step 6

Again, now that you've traveled into realm of the ridiculous, come back and list even more ideas - illegal or otherwise.

In my case, a step-by-step validation guide comes to mind, as well as finding a way to literally pay people to fail fast in their experiments.

Step 7

Now come up with a few ideas where money is no object. If you were infinitely rich, how would you solve this problem?

I love the idea of huge groups of people coming together to learn from one another, so if I had infinite resources, I could put on a global quarterly conference! Or I could simply become an investor with a specific investment thesis to invest in companies that were doing business model validation the right way.

Step 8

Again, come back from your fantasy trip and see if you can come up with three more ideas that you hadn't thought of before.

Here you can see some pretty far out ideas are starting to permeate my thinking: sorting all of the internet's startup advice based on it's evidence and rigor, or producing some kind of brain implants to help founders make optimal decisions.

Remember the rules you started this exercise with:

1. No bad ideas. Quantity > Quality.
2. Disruption breads disruption

It may be hard or uncomfortable coming up with all of these ideas, but keep going! Within this process is the optimal solution to your customer's problems.

Step 9

In this step, you will come up with ideas for solutions imagining you had access to the "best and the brightest." If you were able to work with the best people in the field - the best scientists, the best developers, the best _____ - what would you be able to do for your customers?

In my case, having the best and brightest startup minds write up their case studies and creating sophisticated tools that help systematize the validation process could help solve my customer's "overwhelmed" problem.

Step 10

Let three new solutions flow. They could be related to what you came up with in the "Best and Brightest" category, or they could be entirely different.

For me, ideas around validation internships and online accelerators come to mind as a direct result of thinking of case studies and bad-ass tools.

Step 11

Now, think about what solutions would be possible next week. These are fast, quick solutions that you could make happen within the next 7 days.

In my case, I could easily setup a Google Hangout to help walk a handful of people through the validation process next week. I could also start developing and publishing a new blog post series.

Step 12

List three more solutions that come to you.

In my case YouTube comes to mind, peer mentoring and building a marketplace for connecting customers with founders.

Step 13 & 14

In these two steps, list two solutions that would require no money to make happen. Then list three more solutions that come to you.

In my case, I can create a kind of "Choose your Own Adventure" blog where readers help decide which path a business pursues. In doing so, I can teach Lean Startup principles. Alternatively I could setup a mentoring ring, connecting mentors with founders.

Step 15 & 16

The last prompt asks you to list any no software solutions. These are solutions that would not require any apps, computers, internet, etc. How would you go about helping your customers not feel that uncomfortable feeling without the use of a software solution?

In my case, I might pursue teaching at a community college or drawing out a comic book.

Finally, wrap up your brainstorming by writing in three more solutions you had not thought of yet.

Congratulations! You have over 40 ideas now of how you can help alleviate your customers' uncomfortable feelings and help them solve their problem.

Step 17

Copy in the deficiencies your customers are currently experiencing. You can pull this directly from your Problem Synthesis worksheet.

You'll use these deficiencies to help you identify the most helpful solutions from the 40 you've brainstormed.

Step 18

Now you are going to do some drawing. No words, only images.

Why drawing? Creating images actually leverages a different part of your brain than writing does. To get the most out of this exercise, let's get the most out of your brain!

With the deficiencies in mind, go back over the solutions you brainstormed and find the one that is the most:

• Logical: Which solution intuitively makes the most logical sense to you?
• Delightful: What would make your customers delighted or ecstatic?
• Inexpensive: Which solution will be the least expense for you to build, in terms of time and money?
• Disruptive: What will be the biggest game-changing solution?

Make four drawings - one for each of the above. Do not use any numbers, letters, words, or characters. No one else will be able to understand your drawings - that is just fine. These are just for you, to access more creative potential in your noggin.

In my case, the most logical solution is to put together a video course that would help founders better understand the steps to starting a company.

The most delightful solution for my customers would be an investor ring that would surround founders in the places they lived with access to investors, mentorship and teammates.

The most inexpensive solution for me to build would be adding a membership or pay wall to my blog. That could help me declare my victory, without incurring much cost.

Finally, what is going to be the most disruptive, the biggest game changing solution? In my case, I wonder what happens if there is a way to directly connect founders and customers to collaborate on building solutions to make the learning we are doing here automatic.

Steps 19-21

Now that we've gone through the creative process, go ahead and choose three solutions that you'd like to move forward with to test. Choose at least 2, but no more than 3.

In my case, I have three potential solutions to explore that seem like the most viable:

1. Expert/peer mentoring program
2. Video course
3. Book series

These solutions address the problem and emotions my customers are experiencing, while also potentially alleviating the deficiencies of current solutions.

What's Next

Congratulations, you've explored the entire space of solutions to your customer's problem! This is fantastic news because...

• If the idea you're choosing to test first is the same one you came into this exercise with, you now have confidence, even after exploring all potential solutions, it's still the best path to pursue.
• If you're going to test an idea you didn't start this exercise with, you've been able to open your mind to new possibilities, and perhaps solve this problem better than you ever thought possible!

Bonus: if one of these solutions does not pan out, you have almost 40 back up solutions waiting for you to try - so long as you don't get arrested trying to implement them.

Next up, you're ready to use the solutions you've outlined here to start designing your first Offer Test!