Project Highlight - Chapter author, "Establishing First Customers"
As a part of my PhD work and as an investigation into the decision-making processes of successful founders, I wrote the introductory chapter to the book, "An Atlas of Venture Science," focused on establishing first customers in deep tech.
- Completed for
- VSD Course: Complex Decision Making
- Year
- Focus area
- Customer acquisition
Overview
Deep tech ventures, characterized by cutting-edge scientific and technological innovations, can face unique hurdles when it comes to customer acquisition. Unlike SaaS or consumer startups, the adoption of deep tech solutions often requires a longer development and trial period due to the complexity and novelty of the technology involved. Potential customers are also likely to be more risk-averse when it comes to embracing unproven technologies. As a result, establishing the first customers and securing pilot projects is a momentous step in validating market potential and gaining traction for deep tech ventures. My chapter contribution aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the key steps and strategies that founders should follow during this make-or-break phase of venture building.
To better understand how experienced deep tech founders navigate this process, I conducted a series of interviews following the Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) methodology. My diverse group of interviewees consisted of founders that are building solutions for low-carbon chemical development, plant-based metal mining, wildfire mitigation, micromobility, industrial decarbonization, and more. The challenges, solutions, and insights that they shared have equipped me with a confident approach towards deep tech customer acquisition, and I have done my best to honestly convey and synthesize their knowledge in this chapter.
Covered topics
‣ The iterative nature of customer acquisition and its symbiotic relationship with product development
‣ The power of regulations in aiding or impairing customer acquisition
‣ The importance of warm intros and internal champions
‣ The benefits of outsider and generalist perspectives
‣ How to decide between “perfect” and “good enough”
‣ Tactics for defining and conducting a killer product demo or pilot
Expert interview types
Interview 1: Knowledge audit
Interview 2: Simulation interview
Interview 3: Cognitive demands analysis
Skills used
- Customer Discovery
- Expert Interviewing
- Cognitive Task Analysis
- Data Analysis
- Technical Writing
This book is more than a collection of theories; it is a practical, evolving guide designed to navigate complex decision making processes in the world of deep tech entrepreneurship.
- pages contributed
- 24
- experts interviewed
- 10
- interview types
- 3