Listen now on Apple, Spotify and Youtube.

Every startup wants to get to the elusive product-market fit.

But unlike PMs at established companies, startup founders often have an extra layer of ambiguity to navigate — zeroing in on the target customer.

In this episode, Ian O’Donnell (Director of Design & Validation at Menlo Labs) shares his practical process to help startup founders get to product-market fit. He shares how he conducts product discovery calls and quantitative ad testing alongside founders to hone in on the target industry, user and buyer.

All of Ian’s advice is grounded in first-hand startup stories, in which he’s helped to shape their trajectory.

Chapters:

00:00Introduction to Product Discovery and Ian O'Donnell

01:56Ian's Journey into Design and Innovation

09:02The Role of Qualitative and Quantitative Research

10:41Case Study: Squint's Journey in Manufacturing

24:02Deep Dive into Manufacturing Needs and Insights

34:31Adoption Challenges and the Role of AI

36:49Squint's Journey to Success

37:55The Menlo Labs Experience

43:56Challenges in Manager Training

47:10Exploring New Directions

55:06Navigating Customer Discovery

01:01:56Advice for Founders

Where to find Ian:

* Menlo Labs

* Menlo Labs’ Fellows Program

* Ian’s LinkedIn

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.jingjingtan.com