User Research & Validation Plan
Key Assumptions to Validate
| Assumption | Risk | Method | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering teams discover API changes through production incidents | High | Interviews, incident analysis | 70%+ confirm this happens monthly |
| Teams track 20+ external APIs on average | Medium | Usage survey, package analysis | Average of 15+ APIs per team |
| Manual changelog checking is inconsistent and missed | High | Process interviews, task analysis | 80%+ admit to inconsistent checking |
| Teams will pay $49/month for API monitoring | Critical | Pricing tests, pre-orders | 10+ pre-orders at target price |
| Email alerts alone are insufficient for critical changes | Medium | Communication preference survey | 60%+ need Slack/other channels |
| Teams need impact analysis beyond just notifications | High | Problem interviews, solution tests | 75%+ want code impact mapping |
| API response diffing (undocumented changes) is valuable opt-in | Medium | Feature prioritization survey | 50%+ would enable if free |
| Teams have dedicated time for API dependency management | High | Process interviews, time logs | Only 30%+ do this systematically |
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 position?
- • What team are you on and what's your team size?
- • How many third-party APIs does your team currently use?
- • What are your main responsibilities regarding external dependencies?
Part 2: Problem Exploration (20 min)
- • Walk me through the last time an API change caused a problem in production
- • How often do you check changelog pages for your APIs?
- • What triggers you to check for API updates?
- • How does it feel when you discover breaking changes during deployment or in production?
- • What's the worst part about managing API dependencies?
- • What have you tried to solve this problem?
- • How much time do you spend on API dependency management each month?
Part 3: Current Solutions (15 min)
- • What tools or methods do you currently use to track API changes?
- • What do you like about your current approach?
- • What frustrates you about these tools?
- • Have you ever switched tools for API monitoring? Why?
- • What would make you switch to a new solution?
Part 4: Solution Exploration (15 min)
- • If I told you there was a tool that automatically tracks all your API changes and alerts you before they break production...
- • What would be most valuable about that?
- • What concerns would you have about such a tool?
- • What features would it need for you to try it?
- • How much would you expect to pay for something like this?
- • Who else would need to approve this purchase in your organization?
Part 5: Wrap-up (10 min)
- • On a scale of 1-10, how painful is API dependency management for your team?
- • How important is it to solve this problem in the next 3 months?
- • Would you be interested in being a beta tester for a solution like this?
- • Who else should I talk to about this problem?
8-Week Validation Plan
Weeks 1-2
Problem Validation
• Conduct 10-15 customer discovery interviews
• Send screening survey (target 200+ responses)
• Analyze interview transcripts for pain patterns
• Document validated vs. invalidated assumptions
Weeks 3-4
Solution Validation
• Create landing page with 3 headline variants
• Run A/B test with $500 ad spend
• Launch waitlist (target 100+ signups)
• Follow up with 20 survey responses for deeper feedback
Weeks 5-6
Willingness to Pay Validation
• Conduct 10 pricing interviews
• Run Van Westendorp pricing survey
• Test fake door with pricing tiers
• Attempt 5-10 pre-orders at target price
Weeks 7-8
Prototype Validation
• Build Wizard of Oz MVP for 10-20 users
• Deliver manual change detection service
• Collect NPS and qualitative feedback
• Iterate on core value proposition based on learnings
Go/No-Go Decision Criteria
| Metric | Target | Actual | Pass? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interview problem validation | 80%+ confirm pain | - | ☐ |
| Landing page signup rate | >5% | - | ☐ |
| Price acceptance | 60%+ at target price | - | ☐ |
| Pre-orders | 10+ customers | - | ☐ |
| Prototype NPS | >40 | - | ☐ |
User Research Synthesis Template
Problem Validation Summary
- • Top 3 validated pain points
- • User quotes (evidence)
- • Unexpected findings
- • Assumptions that were wrong
Solution Validation Summary
- • Most compelling features
- • Features users don't care about
- • UX concerns raised
- • Integration needs identified
Pricing Validation Summary
- • Optimal price point
- • Price sensitivity by segment
- • Value anchors (what they compare to)
- • Pricing model preferences
Go-to-Market Insights
- • Where users hang out
- • How they discover solutions
- • Decision-making process
- • Buying objections