I used to doubt vision-led founders. “No research? No evidence? No proof? No way can we start building when we have no data to know if this is a good idea.”
Today, I don’t think that “evidence of idea good-ness” is the right way to think about the gap user research fills for vision-led founders. The gap is somewhere else.
Visionary founders see a future before many others do. But because I saw so many visions turn to dust with a few interviews, my default stance for years was that vision-led founders were wrong more often than they were right. As their advisor, shouldn’t I tell them sooner rather than later?
Conversations about incorporating qualitative research used to go like this:
Founders: “I know the market, I know what people want, heck I am part of the market. We don’t need to interview users.”
Me: “Well actually 🤓 we should still do research. It often proves founders wrong or shows how their proximity to the problem clouds their view.”
Founders: 🤨
But over time I saw more vision-led founders were “correct” about their hypotheses than I gave them credit for. Not all, but enough.
And yet, the founder being “right” or the founder “knowing the market better than anyone” can only go so far. Even with a strong vision, a vision-led approach can still be a liability.
After all, there’s an entire *team* of folks who need to share that vision if they’re to successfully execute on it.
-Sellers need to know how to multi-thread the vision’s sale
-Marketers need to know where, when, and how shoppers talk about problems your vision solves so they can join the conversations
-Product people need to know in far greater detail than a presentation or pitch deck could provide exactly what you see
I discovered that vision-led founders are among those who can most benefit from having qualitative data and primary source material for another reason: to give their team a way to see what they see.
Today the exchange often goes a little differently:
Founders: “I know the market well, I know what people want, heck I am part of the market. I’m not sure we need to interview customers.”
Me: “I believe you. And if you’re right, customer research will not only confirm your hunches, but it will also help more of your team get on board with your vision. If you’re wrong, we’ll be able to course correct.”
Founders: 😁
Researching your buying committee, investigating their Jobs To Be Done, facilitating ICP listening sessions with your team – this work is as much about discovering the insights as it is about discovering the insights *together.*
Hearing raw VOC straight out of your buying committees’ mouth helps your team close that gap, helps their brain form the same vision you have, helps them feel what you feel.
The gap user research is between what you see in your mind’s eye and what your team sees in theirs. Research closes it.
And it helps them build what you want to build.