Ask An Expert

Overview

"Ask An Expert is exactly what it sounds like: going to experts for advice about your product or business." However, it's classified as research rather than experimentation, so treat insights cautiously since experts lack deep knowledge of your specific situation.

In GLIDR, schedule expert interviews as Research and document each conversation as Evidence - Interview. After meetings conclude, evaluate findings and determine which recommendations align with your needs during the Analyze phase.

In Brief

Founders seek expert opinions and often implement their suggestions. While consulting product and marketing specialists is valuable, recognize this as generative research—not evaluative research.

Helps Answer

• What is the received wisdom/standard approach/assumption(s) about a market or product?
• Am I missing an important part of the overall picture?

Tags

• Generative
• Advice

Description

Experts excel with complicated problems featuring multiple predictable factors. They're particularly valuable in regulated industries like FinTech, where "deep insights into a particular problem domain" and competitive context accelerate learning. Leveraging expert knowledge serves as an efficient shortcut when executing quickly matters.

However, "using third-party expertise to evaluate existing options is an anti-pattern" since experts view situations through potentially limiting assumptions.

Time Commitment

15 minutes to longer-term engagements spanning multiple weeks.

How To

1. Locate experts via Google/Bing, Meetup, LinkedIn, Academia.edu, or FindAnExpertOnline.com
2. Consider paid platforms: Clarity.fm, PopExpert.com, FounderDating.com
3. Contact and schedule meetings
4. Prepare targeted questions and discussion areas
5. Conduct the meeting
6. Document key recommendations
7. Request referrals to related experts if helpful
8. Test whether advice applies to your specific case through falsifiable hypotheses

Interpreting Results

Prioritize experts with personal experience (success or failure) or significant academic/journalistic research credentials. Remember that "all advice is context-dependent"—landscapes shift and expert recommendations may not transfer to your circumstances.

Potential Biases

• Verify interests genuinely align with yours; check for conflicts
• Free advice carries uncertain value
• Request data underlying recommendations when possible
• Think independently after receiving counsel

Field Tips

"Information is plentiful. Wisdom is rare. Ask experts to figure out what to test in your business" — @LaunchTomorrow

Adapted from The Real Startup Book, edited by Tristan Kromer and published by Kromatic, under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.