Customer, Problem, Solution, and Outcome Mad Libs

Get clear on the most important aspects of your next project

Before you start building a product you need to get clear on three things.

• Who you are serving
• The problem they have
• The outcome they want
• The solution you plan to offer

I have found value in utilizing Mad Libs to help me clarify my thinking in these areas.

These are not meant to be a substitute for the real work required to validate and refine these with actual people. However, they will help you pinpoint beliefs and assumptions and prepare you for customer interviews.

What is a Mad Lib?

A Mad Lib is a story building word game with fill in the blank templates. The story framework is provided and you simply have to fill in the nouns, verbs and adjectives to complete the story. This was done in an interview style format where one person asks for words of a specific type and the other fills in the blanks of the story. The story is then read aloud and laughter ensues.

When should you use a Mad Lib?

Customer, Problem, Solution, and Outcome Mad Libs can be completed alone or in…