User Research & Validation Plan
Key Assumptions to Validate
| Assumption | Risk | Method | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent local businesses want to join a coalition loyalty program | High | Surveys, interviews | 80%+ interest |
| Consumers will use a unified loyalty app across local businesses | High | User testing, feedback | 75%+ adoption rate |
| Businesses will see a significant increase in customer retention and new customer acquisition | Critical | Cohort analysis, A/B testing | 20%+ increase in retention, 15%+ in new customers |
| Coalition model will create network effects, increasing consumer and business value | Critical | Network analysis, econometric modeling | 30%+ increase in consumer engagement, 25%+ in business participation |
| Transaction fees and business subscriptions will provide sufficient revenue | High | Financial modeling, market research | $100K+ MRR within 12 months |
Customer Discovery Interview Guide
- Tell me about your current loyalty program experiences as a consumer and/or business owner.
- What do you like or dislike about existing loyalty programs?
- How do you currently discover and choose local businesses?
- What would make you more likely to support local businesses?
- Can you describe a recent positive experience with a local business?
- How do you think a coalition loyalty program could benefit your business or your favorite local businesses?
- What features or rewards would you expect from such a program?
- Are you willing to pay a fee for a loyalty program that benefits local businesses?
- How much would you be willing to pay?
Validation Survey Design
The survey will be designed to validate assumptions about consumer and business interest in a coalition loyalty program. It will include questions about current loyalty program usage, preferences for loyalty programs, willingness to support local businesses, and interest in a coalition loyalty program.
Landing Page Validation Experiment
A landing page will be created to test interest in the coalition loyalty program. The page will describe the program's benefits and features, and visitors will be asked to sign up for more information or to express interest in participating as a business or consumer.
Prototype Testing Plan
A functional prototype of the coalition loyalty program will be developed and tested with a small group of consumers and businesses. The prototype will include key features such as user profiles, business listings, and reward tracking. Feedback will be collected through surveys, interviews, and usability testing.
Fake Door & Pre-Order Tests
A fake door test will be conducted to gauge interest in the program by adding a "join now" button to the landing page. A pre-order test will also be conducted to measure willingness to pay for the program by offering a limited-time discount for early adopters.
Validation Experiment Timeline
The validation experiments will be conducted over an 8-week period. Week 1-2 will focus on customer discovery interviews, week 3-4 will focus on survey design and deployment, week 5-6 will focus on landing page and prototype testing, and week 7-8 will focus on fake door and pre-order testing.
Go/No-Go Decision Criteria
| Metric | Target | Actual | Pass? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interview problem validation | 80%+ confirm pain | ☐ | |
| Landing page signup rate | 5%+ conversion | ☐ | |
| Price acceptance | 60%+ at target price | ☐ | |
| Pre-orders | 10+ customers | ☐ | |
| Prototype NPS | 40+ | ☐ |
User Research Synthesis Template
After completing the validation experiments, the results will be synthesized into a report that summarizes the key findings, including problem validation, solution validation, pricing validation, and go-to-market insights.