Section 05: User Research & Validation Plan
MedMinder Pro - Validating the "Root Cause" Hypothesis
1. Key Assumptions to Validate
Problem Assumptions
-
Users know *why* they skip doses HIGH RISK
Method: Diary studies + Interviews
Target: 70% can articulate a specific reason (cost, side effects, etc.)
-
Current reminders are "noise" MED RISK
Method: App usage observation
Target: Users disable notifications on generic alarms
-
Caregivers feel helpless MED RISK
Method: Caregiver forums/interviews
Target: "Nagging" is top friction point
Solution Assumptions
-
Users will input "snooze reasons" HIGH RISK
Method: Prototype testing
Target: 60% completion rate on reason capture
-
Seniors trust AI health insights CRITICAL
Method: Concept testing
Target: "Doctor approved" messaging reduces skepticism
-
Price savings drive retention MED RISK
Method: Wizard of Oz savings
Target: $50+/month savings found for 80% of users
Business Assumptions
-
B2C willingness to pay $4.99/mo CRITICAL
Method: Van Westendorp Survey
Target: 40% see $4.99 as "cheap/expensive" midpoint
-
Pharmacies will partner HIGH RISK
Method: Partner interviews
Target: 3 LOIs for pilot program
-
CAC < $15 via Caregiver channels HIGH RISK
Method: Ad tests on FB/Reddit
Target: CPC <$2, Conversion >15%
2. Customer Discovery Interview Guide
Part 1: Context (10 min)
- Walk me through your morning routine with your medications.
- How many different doctors do you see for your prescriptions?
- What does "managing your meds" look like right now? (Pill box, family help, etc.)
Part 2: The "Miss" (20 min)
- Tell me about the last time you missed a dose. What happened that day?
- Before you missed it, did you *intend* to take it?
- If you didn't take it because of side effects, how did that feel?
- If cost was the issue, how did you handle the conversation with your doctor?
- Probe for emotions: Guilt? Fear? Indifference?
Part 3: Current Tools (15 min)
- Have you tried pill reminder apps? Why did you stop?
- What do your kids/family members currently ask you about your health?
- What is the most annoying part of refilling prescriptions?
Part 4: The "Root Cause" Solution (15 min)
- How would you feel if an app asked, "Why are you skipping this?" when you snoozed?
- If we could automatically find a coupon for your expensive drug, would you trust it?
- Would you want your adult child to see *that* you missed a dose, or just a weekly summary?
- Would you pay $5/month to never worry about refills again?
3. Survey Design
Screening Survey (Qualitative Recruitment)
Goal: Find high-friction users for deep interviews.
- How many prescription medications do you take daily? (0, 1-2, 3-5, 5+)
- Have you missed a dose in the last month? (Yes/No)
- What is your primary method of tracking meds? (Memory, Box, App, Caregiver)
- On a scale of 1-10, how stressful is managing your refills?
- Are you currently managing meds for a parent? (Yes/No)
- Would you be willing to discuss your routine for 30 mins for $50?
Validation Survey (Quantitative)
Goal: Quantify pain and pricing sensitivity.
- Rank these reasons for missing a dose: (Cost, Side Effects, Forgot, Felt Fine, Too Complex)
- How much do you spend monthly on prescriptions?
- Van Westendorp Pricing Qs: (At what price is this too expensive? A bargain? So cheap you doubt quality?)
- Which feature is most valuable? (Auto-refill, Cost savings, Family alerts, Side effect tracking)
- How likely are you to switch from your current pharmacy app?
4. Landing Page Experiment
Messaging focused on "Cost Savings" will outperform "Reminders" due to higher financial pain.
| Variant A (Control) | Variant B (Risk) |
|---|---|
| Headline: Never Miss a Dose Again. | Headline: Stop Overpaying for Meds. |
| Sub: The smartest pill reminder. | Sub: We find coupons & manage refills. |
| CTA: Start Reminding Me | CTA: Find My Savings |
- 1,000 unique visitors via FB Ads (Targeting: 50+)
- >5% conversion to Waitlist
- Cost Per Signup < $5
5. Prototype Testing Plan
Instead of building the AI, manually analyze the data for the first 20 users to see if the insights are actually helpful.
User gets a text reminder. If they don't confirm "Taken", they get a follow-up: "Why? (Side effect, Cost, Busy)"
Founder reviews data. If "Cost", manually searches GoodRx. If "Side effect", drafts doctor discussion script.
Send a personalized text: "I found your med at Walmart for $10 less. Here is the coupon."
6. Validation Timeline & Go/No-Go
Weeks 1-2: Problem Discovery
Conduct 20 patient interviews + 10 caregiver interviews. Run screening survey to gather quantitative baseline on "missed dose frequency."
Weeks 3-4: Landing Page & Fake Door
Launch A/B test (Cost vs. Reminders). Add "Find Savings" button (Fake Door) on existing patient forums to measure click-through rate on cost solutions.
Weeks 5-6: Concierge MVP
Onboard 10 beta users. Send daily SMS reminders. Manually handle "Interventions" for missed doses. Measure retention and "delight" (NPS).
Week 8: Go/No-Go Decision
Review data against success metrics. Pivot to pure enterprise tool if B2C churn is too high, or proceed to build MVP.
Decision Criteria
| Metric | Target (Green) | Danger (Red) |
|---|---|---|
| Problem Validation | 80% cite specific non-compliance reason | "I just forget" is >90% answer |
| Landing Page Conversion | >5% Signup Rate | <1% Signup Rate |
| Concierge MVP Retention | >60% Week 2 Retention | <20% Week 2 Retention |
| Willingness to Pay | >30% accept $4.99/mo | Max acceptable price <$1.99 |
8. Research Synthesis Template
Problem Validation
- Top 3 Pain Points: [List]
- Surprise Finding: [e.g., Users fear side effects more than cost]
- Killed Assumption: [e.g., Users don't want family to see every miss]
Solution Validation
- Must-Have Feature: [e.g., The "Snooze Reason" capture]
- Nice-to-Have: [e.g., Gamification]
- UX Friction: [e.g., Typing on phone is hard, use voice/buttons]