CustDev (customer development) means talking to future customers, before you build or change a product, to find out their real problem, their current solution and their willingness to pay. A good custdev either confirms your idea or gives you a new one.
Many founders "sell" their own idea instead of running custdev: they talk for 20 minutes and at the end ask, "Did you like it?". Out of politeness, the person says "yes". That is not custdev.
In short:
- In CustDev you don't talk, you listen.
- Ask about past behavior, not future wishes.
- A pain that keeps repeating is a ready product idea.
Where do you find people for CustDev?
The best source is people who are already interested in you: leads, customers, event participants.
For DeepVision we ran lead generation for Odoo ERP and talked to every lead. In those conversations, owners of construction companies and furniture factories asked not for "an ERP for everyone", but for a system tailored to their industry. That is how the Memor CRM and Profaber ideas came from the entrepreneurs themselves. We had also suggested the Memor direction, and the custdev matched our analysis.
What questions do you ask?
The main rule: ask about the past. Not "Would you use it?", but "How did you solve it last time?"
Sample questions:
- How do you handle this process now?
- When did this last become a problem, and what did you do?
- How much time or money does this cost you now?
- What solutions have you tried? Why did you stop?
- What will change if this problem is solved?
How is the conversation run?
20–30 minutes is enough. Record it (with permission). You talk 20% of the time, the customer 80%.
You can mention your product briefly at the end. But the goal is not to sell, it is to learn. If the customer asks on their own, "When will it be ready?", that is a good signal.
How do you analyze the results?
After 10–15 conversations, put the answers in a table: problem, current solution, money being spent, readiness. Mark what repeats.
If the same pain comes up in 6–7 of 10 conversations, it deserves attention. The next step is to make an offer for that pain and run a small market test. Details: Napkin test.
Where do most people go wrong?
The first mistake is leading questions: "You need a system like this, right?" The answer is always "yes".
The second mistake is talking only to people you know. They speak positively so they don't upset you.
The right way is to talk to strangers who are still your target audience, and to ask for facts.
Conclusion
In short, custdev is listening to the voice of the market.
- Talk to leads and customers.
- Ask about past behavior.
- Listen 80% of the time.
- Put the repeating pain in a table.
- Run a market test with an offer for that pain.
We can run CustDev and the market test together — book a consultation.
About the author. Safarmurod Abduroziqov is the founder and CEO of AURA Digital: 6 years in marketing, 50+ IT projects, ~$1M in managed ad budget. Telegram · LinkedIn
Frequently asked questions
What is CustDev?
Customer development is the process of finding out, through conversations with future customers, their problem, their current solution and their willingness to pay.
How many conversations do you need?
Usually the repeating pains become visible after 10–15 conversations. Then you check them with a small market test.
Should you show the product in CustDev?
Not in the main part: the goal is to learn. You can mention it briefly at the end; if the customer shows interest on their own, that is a good signal.
Can a new product come out of CustDev?
Yes. The Memor CRM and Profaber ideas came from the entrepreneurs themselves in custdev with Odoo leads.