User Research & Validation Plan
"If you're not embarrassed by your first product, you've launched too late." – Reid Hoffman
Validate MeetingMeter's core assumptions before building complex calendar integrations
Key Assumptions to Validate
| Assumption | Risk | Method | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ops/HR leaders actively track meeting costs as a productivity metric | Critical | Interviews + competitive analysis | 70%+ confirm tracking attempts |
| Current meeting solutions don't provide cost visibility | High | User interviews + tool audit | Document 3+ specific gaps |
| Users will connect calendar data despite privacy concerns | Critical | Landing page + consent flow test | >40% connection rate in prototype |
| $4-12/user/month pricing aligns with perceived value | Critical | Van Westendorp pricing survey | 60%+ accept target price |
| Nudges actually change meeting behavior | High | Concierge MVP testing | 30%+ behavior change in test group |
| Companies have accessible salary/band data for cost calculation | High | HR leader interviews | 80%+ have structured compensation data |
| Individual contributors want meeting cost visibility | Medium | Chrome extension prototype | >25% weekly active users |
| CAC will be <$150 for target segment | High | LinkedIn ad tests | CAC < $120 in test campaigns |
Customer Discovery Interview Guide
Part 1: Background & Context (10 min)
- Tell me about your role and what you do day-to-day
- How long have you been in this role?
- What are your biggest productivity challenges right now?
Part 2: Problem Exploration (20 min)
- Walk me through your typical meeting week
- How do you currently track or measure meeting effectiveness?
- What's the most expensive meeting you can think of? Why was it costly?
- How much time do you estimate your team spends in meetings weekly?
- Have you ever tried to calculate the cost of a specific meeting?
- What would you do differently if you knew the real cost of every meeting?
Part 3: Current Solutions (15 min)
- What tools do you use to manage your calendar/meetings?
- Do you use any productivity or time tracking tools?
- What do you wish these tools could tell you about your meetings?
- Have you seen any meeting analytics in your current tools?
Part 4: Solution Exploration (15 min)
- If you could see the real cost of every meeting in your calendar, how would that help?
- What concerns would you have about a tool showing meeting costs?
- Would you want to see individual vs. team vs. company-level costs?
- How much would you expect to pay for this visibility?
- Who would need to approve purchasing this for your team?
Part 5: Wrap-up (10 min)
- On a scale of 1-10, how valuable would meeting cost visibility be to you?
- Would you be interested in being a beta tester?
- Who else should I talk to about this problem?
8-Week Validation Plan
Week 1-2
Problem Validation
• 15 customer interviews
• Screening survey (200+ responses)
• Competitive gap analysis
Week 3-4
Solution Validation
• Landing page A/B test
• Waitlist signup campaign
• Chrome extension prototype
Week 5-6
Willingness to Pay
• Pricing interviews (10)
• Van Westendorp survey
• Pre-order tests
Week 7-8
Prototype Validation
• Wizard of Oz MVP
• 20 user deliveries
• NPS + feedback collection
Go/No-Go Decision Criteria
| Metric | Target | Validation Method | Pass? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Problem validation | 80%+ confirm meeting cost pain | Customer interviews | ☐ |
| Landing page conversion | >5% signup rate (50+ emails) | A/B test with $500 ad spend | ☐ |
| Price acceptance | 60%+ at $4-12/user/month | Van Westendorp survey | ☐ |
| Pre-orders | 10+ paying customers | Early-bird pricing test | ☐ |
| Prototype NPS | >40 | Wizard of Oz MVP delivery | ☐ |
Research Synthesis Framework
- Top 3 validated pain points
- Key user quotes as evidence
- Assumptions proven wrong
- Most compelling features
- UX concerns raised
- Integration requirements
- Optimal price point
- Value anchors identified
- Segment preferences
- Discovery channels
- Decision process
- Key objections