{"id":266,"date":"2026-02-15T14:59:19","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T18:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/?p=266"},"modified":"2026-04-07T14:01:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T18:01:17","slug":"problem-refinement-and-customer-surveys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/problem-refinement-and-customer-surveys\/","title":{"rendered":"Customer Discovery \u2014 Validating and Refining the Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>At this stage, you have identified several promising <a href=\"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/2015\/11\/problem-opportunity-identification\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">problems.<\/a> The objective now is to <strong data-start=\"368\" data-end=\"402\">validate, refine, and quantify<\/strong> those problems through structured research and direct customer engagement.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"545\">This is where most opportunities either become real\u2014or fall apart.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"hkpcdq\" data-start=\"552\" data-end=\"607\"><strong>Start With Structured Research (Not Just \u201cGoogling\u201d)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"609\" data-end=\"680\">Before engaging customers, build a baseline understanding of the space.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"682\" data-end=\"691\">Focus on:<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-389 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/marshalling-300x239.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"255\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/marshalling-300x239.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/marshalling-768x612.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/marshalling-1024x816.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/marshalling.jpg 1696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"693\" data-end=\"927\">\n<li data-section-id=\"10dt2rf\" data-start=\"693\" data-end=\"731\">Industry structure and key players<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1ljkxs2\" data-start=\"732\" data-end=\"778\">Existing solutions (and their limitations)<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1bkt4j9\" data-start=\"779\" data-end=\"822\">Estimated cost or impact of the problem<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1ibpt2z\" data-start=\"823\" data-end=\"880\">Regulatory, certification, or operational constraints<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"rp5w65\" data-start=\"881\" data-end=\"927\">Industry-specific language and terminology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"929\" data-end=\"952\">Useful sources include:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"953\" data-end=\"1103\">\n<li data-section-id=\"mrtgpt\" data-start=\"953\" data-end=\"975\">Trade publications<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"19p6liu\" data-start=\"976\" data-end=\"1025\">Company annual reports and investor materials<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"q4vuyf\" data-start=\"1026\" data-end=\"1063\">Technical papers and white papers<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"7xwxp9\" data-start=\"1064\" data-end=\"1103\">Conference presentations and panels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1105\" data-end=\"1245\">The goal is not expertise\u2014it is <strong data-start=\"1137\" data-end=\"1164\">credibility and context<\/strong>. You should be able to speak the language and avoid asking uninformed questions.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"word-spacing: normal;\">You can find a list of publications by industry <a href=\"https:\/\/www.webwire.com\/IndustryList.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"1m3iumb\" data-start=\"1252\" data-end=\"1291\"><strong>Identify the Full Customer Ecosystem<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1293\" data-end=\"1332\">Your \u201ccustomer\u201d is not a single person.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1334\" data-end=\"1403\">In most B2B environments, the buying process includes multiple roles:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1405\" data-end=\"1603\">\n<li data-section-id=\"h5um22\" data-start=\"1405\" data-end=\"1452\"><strong data-start=\"1407\" data-end=\"1415\">User<\/strong> \u2014 experiences the problem directly<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1yukeul\" data-start=\"1453\" data-end=\"1488\"><strong data-start=\"1455\" data-end=\"1464\">Buyer<\/strong> \u2014 controls the budget<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"9rin6n\" data-start=\"1489\" data-end=\"1535\"><strong data-start=\"1491\" data-end=\"1509\">Decision-maker<\/strong> \u2014 approves the purchase<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"lqgqmy\" data-start=\"1536\" data-end=\"1603\"><strong data-start=\"1538\" data-end=\"1553\">Influencers<\/strong> \u2014 shape the decision (positively or negatively)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1605\" data-end=\"1640\">You need to understand all of them.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1642\" data-end=\"1792\">If you only talk to users, you risk building something that never gets funded.<br data-start=\"1720\" data-end=\"1723\" \/>If you only talk to executives, you risk missing operational reality.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"1794\" data-end=\"1797\" \/>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"5ls3f3\" data-start=\"1799\" data-end=\"1838\"><strong>Conduct Targeted Customer Interviews<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1840\" data-end=\"1882\">For B2B opportunities, a useful target is:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1884\" data-end=\"1923\">\n<li data-section-id=\"85oliv\" data-start=\"1884\" data-end=\"1923\"><strong data-start=\"1886\" data-end=\"1923\">~10\u201330 high-quality conversations<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1925\" data-end=\"2017\">Quality matters more than volume. These should be real discussions, not superficial surveys.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2019\" data-end=\"2183\">If you have properly scoped your problem within a domain you understand or have access to, this is achievable through your network, LinkedIn, and industry contacts.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"2185\" data-end=\"2188\" \/>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"euu8p0\" data-start=\"2190\" data-end=\"2229\"><strong>What to Learn (Not Just What to Ask)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2231\" data-end=\"2306\">The objective is not to \u201cpitch\u201d or validate your idea. It is to understand:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2308\" data-end=\"2479\">\n<li data-section-id=\"1y7uf8t\" data-start=\"2308\" data-end=\"2346\">How the problem actually manifests<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"12yfd5d\" data-start=\"2347\" data-end=\"2386\">How severe it is (time, cost, risk)<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1jfg53o\" data-start=\"2387\" data-end=\"2420\">How it is currently addressed<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"fecsjk\" data-start=\"2421\" data-end=\"2447\">How decisions are made<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1cnm364\" data-start=\"2448\" data-end=\"2479\">Where budget authority sits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2481\" data-end=\"2506\">Example lines of inquiry:<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2508\" data-end=\"2519\"><strong data-start=\"2508\" data-end=\"2519\">Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2520\" data-end=\"2626\">\n<li data-section-id=\"11xrapx\" data-start=\"2520\" data-end=\"2561\">What is your role and responsibility?<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"opjtju\" data-start=\"2562\" data-end=\"2626\">How does this problem show up in your day-to-day operations?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2628\" data-end=\"2648\"><strong data-start=\"2628\" data-end=\"2648\">Problem Severity<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2649\" data-end=\"2795\">\n<li data-section-id=\"1fuyah3\" data-start=\"2649\" data-end=\"2695\">How much time or effort does this consume?<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1szeb2j\" data-start=\"2696\" data-end=\"2749\">What is the impact in dollars, schedule, or risk?<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"6z21dh\" data-start=\"2750\" data-end=\"2795\">Who else in the organization is affected?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2797\" data-end=\"2814\"><strong data-start=\"2797\" data-end=\"2814\">Current State<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2815\" data-end=\"2879\">\n<li data-section-id=\"2e2p02\" data-start=\"2815\" data-end=\"2845\">How is this handled today?<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"g9xhza\" data-start=\"2846\" data-end=\"2879\">What works and what does not?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2881\" data-end=\"2903\"><strong data-start=\"2881\" data-end=\"2903\">Economics &amp; Budget<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2904\" data-end=\"3005\">\n<li data-section-id=\"1kkysx3\" data-start=\"2904\" data-end=\"2945\">Is there an existing budget for this?<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"16sznsv\" data-start=\"2946\" data-end=\"2962\">Who owns it?<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1y3mvob\" data-start=\"2963\" data-end=\"3005\">How are purchases like this justified?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"3007\" data-end=\"3027\"><strong data-start=\"3007\" data-end=\"3027\">Decision Process<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"3028\" data-end=\"3112\">\n<li data-section-id=\"usjfb3\" data-start=\"3028\" data-end=\"3055\">How are decisions made?<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"9uqci2\" data-start=\"3056\" data-end=\"3081\">Who needs to approve?<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"30y1vb\" data-start=\"3082\" data-end=\"3112\">What would block adoption?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"3114\" data-end=\"3148\"><strong data-start=\"3114\" data-end=\"3148\">Solution Framing (Light Touch)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"3149\" data-end=\"3241\">\n<li data-section-id=\"1dwa947\" data-start=\"3149\" data-end=\"3192\">What would an ideal solution look like?<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1utl6o0\" data-start=\"3193\" data-end=\"3241\">What would make it compelling enough to act?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"3243\" data-end=\"3329\">Avoid leading questions. You are not confirming your idea\u2014you are discovering reality.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"3331\" data-end=\"3334\" \/>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"1b9bug0\" data-start=\"3336\" data-end=\"3364\"><strong>Synthesize What You Learn<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"3366\" data-end=\"3421\">After interviews, you should be able to clearly define:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"3423\" data-end=\"3578\">\n<li data-section-id=\"12th897\" data-start=\"3423\" data-end=\"3468\">The <strong data-start=\"3429\" data-end=\"3446\">real customer<\/strong> (not just the user)<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1pska1g\" data-start=\"3469\" data-end=\"3495\">The <strong data-start=\"3475\" data-end=\"3493\">buying process<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1u032mg\" data-start=\"3496\" data-end=\"3545\">The <strong data-start=\"3502\" data-end=\"3543\">economic value of solving the problem<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"nq35fm\" data-start=\"3546\" data-end=\"3578\">The <strong data-start=\"3552\" data-end=\"3576\">barriers to adoption<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"3580\" data-end=\"3653\">At this stage, each opportunity should be updated into a refined 1-pager:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"3655\" data-end=\"3818\">\n<li data-section-id=\"18r8td0\" data-start=\"3655\" data-end=\"3686\">Validated problem statement<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"nrb2ra\" data-start=\"3687\" data-end=\"3742\">Customer segmentation (user, buyer, decision-maker)<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"dmcvv6\" data-start=\"3743\" data-end=\"3764\">Quantified impact<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"nnvs4d\" data-start=\"3765\" data-end=\"3789\">Current alternatives<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"10ra1ey\" data-start=\"3790\" data-end=\"3818\">Key objections and risks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"3820\" data-end=\"3889\">If you cannot clearly articulate these, the opportunity is not ready.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" data-section-id=\"vsk3x5\" data-start=\"1016\" data-end=\"1065\"><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Example: What We Learned<\/span><br \/>\n<\/em><\/strong><em style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">After speaking with ground crew, maintenance staff, and operations leadership:<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em><strong data-start=\"1149\" data-end=\"1165\">User (pain):<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em>Ground crew lose time retrieving replacement batons; maintenance staff are pulled into low-value battery replacement work<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em><strong data-start=\"1297\" data-end=\"1318\">Buyer (decision):<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em>Terminal managers evaluate solutions based on operational reliability and staffing impact<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em><strong data-start=\"1418\" data-end=\"1437\">Payer (budget):<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em>Regional airport operations leadership ultimately owns the budget and cost savings<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em><strong data-start=\"1530\" data-end=\"1550\">Economic driver:<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em>Recurring spend on batteries, labor, and excess inventory\u2014not the baton itself\u2014is the real cost<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<hr data-start=\"3891\" data-end=\"3894\" \/>\n<p data-section-id=\"1etrfiw\" data-start=\"3896\" data-end=\"3919\"><strong>Common Failure Modes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-section-id=\"1etrfiw\" data-start=\"3896\" data-end=\"3919\">Most teams get this phase wrong:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"3955\" data-end=\"4174\">\n<li data-section-id=\"14e1cie\" data-start=\"3955\" data-end=\"3987\">Talking to too few customers<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"zitube\" data-start=\"3988\" data-end=\"4039\">Talking only to friendly or accessible contacts<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1m8axrk\" data-start=\"4040\" data-end=\"4090\">Leading the conversation toward their solution<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"196ddp9\" data-start=\"4091\" data-end=\"4136\">Ignoring budget and procurement realities<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"o9t583\" data-start=\"4137\" data-end=\"4174\">Overestimating willingness-to-pay<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"4176\" data-end=\"4230\">The result is false confidence and weak opportunities.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"4232\" data-end=\"4235\" \/>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"1k1vx3z\" data-start=\"4237\" data-end=\"4258\"><strong>Guiding Principles<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"4260\" data-end=\"4441\">\n<li data-section-id=\"1susbt8\" data-start=\"4260\" data-end=\"4315\"><strong data-start=\"4262\" data-end=\"4313\">Stay problem-focused longer than is comfortable<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"804pyu\" data-start=\"4316\" data-end=\"4349\"><strong data-start=\"4318\" data-end=\"4347\">Listen more than you talk<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"13ywxmn\" data-start=\"4350\" data-end=\"4396\"><strong data-start=\"4352\" data-end=\"4394\">Look for consistency across interviews<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1db1yjv\" data-start=\"4397\" data-end=\"4441\"><strong data-start=\"4399\" data-end=\"4439\">Follow the budget, not just the pain<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-start=\"4443\" data-end=\"4446\" \/>\n<h3><strong>Early Signal: Pre-Sell Behavior<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"4484\" data-end=\"4543\">As understanding improves, begin testing demand indirectly:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"4545\" data-end=\"4659\">\n<li data-section-id=\"4nbn5e\" data-start=\"4545\" data-end=\"4584\">Gauge willingness to engage further<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"hzp406\" data-start=\"4585\" data-end=\"4620\">Explore pilot or trial interest<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1q2ndjd\" data-start=\"4621\" data-end=\"4659\">Assess openness to paid engagement<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"4661\" data-end=\"4723\">You are not selling yet\u2014but you are observing buying behavior.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" data-section-id=\"vsk3x5\" data-start=\"1016\" data-end=\"1065\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><em>Example: Value Proposition Begins to Emerge<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em><strong>Eliminating battery replacement reduces labor cost, battery spend, and the need for excess equipment inventory\u2014while improving operational reliability for ground crews.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<hr data-start=\"4725\" data-end=\"4728\" \/>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"1mrtquc\" data-start=\"4730\" data-end=\"4744\"><strong>Bottom Line<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"4746\" data-end=\"4930\">\n<li data-section-id=\"1obqab7\" data-start=\"4746\" data-end=\"4794\">Validate the problem with <strong data-start=\"4774\" data-end=\"4792\">real customers<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"104bfmk\" data-start=\"4795\" data-end=\"4832\">Map the <strong data-start=\"4805\" data-end=\"4830\">full buying ecosystem<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"i2xz9d\" data-start=\"4833\" data-end=\"4886\">Quantify <strong data-start=\"4844\" data-end=\"4884\">economic impact and budget ownership<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1d76qgs\" data-start=\"4887\" data-end=\"4930\">Identify <strong data-start=\"4898\" data-end=\"4928\">barriers to adoption early<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"4932\" data-end=\"5029\">If customers do not clearly acknowledge the problem and its value, the opportunity is not viable.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"5031\" data-end=\"5034\" \/>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"11w4tt6\" data-start=\"5036\" data-end=\"5049\"><strong>Transition<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"5051\" data-end=\"5230\">With a validated problem, defined customer, and quantified value, the next step is to develop and refine a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/solution-development\/\">solution, product, or service<\/a> that directly addresses what the market has confirmed it needs.<\/p>\n<p>For more on this, see my <a href=\"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/2017\/02\/sales-primer-decision-making-unit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sales Primer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At this stage, you have identified several promising problems. The objective now is to validate, refine, and quantify those problems through structured research and direct customer engagement. This is where most opportunities either become real\u2014or fall apart. Start With Structured Research (Not Just \u201cGoogling\u201d) Before &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/problem-refinement-and-customer-surveys\/\" class=\"more-link\"><span>Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Customer Discovery \u2014 Validating and Refining the Problem<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,18,19,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-commercialization","category-marketing","category-product-management"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=266"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":755,"href":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266\/revisions\/755"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.justinmcclellan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}