Overview
This generative product research method involves studying failed or near-miss products in your market space and interviewing their users and founders to understand what worked and what didn't.
Key Questions Addressed
- What related products have been created in the past?
- What did customers like/dislike about previously created products?
- What advice would founders of similar failed products offer?
- Which features must be included in the product?
- How is this product different from similar past offerings?
Core Concept
As described in the source material: "Do research on what's been tried and failed. Many near misses have two out of three values in a feature set combination correct."
The technique aims to construct a comprehensive picture of previous attempts, identifying potential pitfalls while benefiting from earlier founders' experiences. This can inform product features, market targeting, or broader business model pivots.
Process
- Conduct desk research to identify similar past ventures
- Use social media to locate former customers of those companies
- Interview previous customers about their experiences
- Attempt to contact and interview original founders
Time Investment
- Desk research: 1-2 days
- Customer interviews: variable duration
- Founder interviews: 1+ days per founder, depending on availability
Key Risks
Overconfidence may prevent adopting the technique, while excessive dwelling on others' failures could unnecessarily undermine your own ideas.
Adapted from The Real Startup Book, edited by Tristan Kromer and published by Kromatic, under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.