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Entrepreneurship / Free mini-course
Move from ‘Do you like my idea?’ to a useful conversation about a recent problem. Build a short interview guide and separate observations from assumptions.
Free · ₹0 · about 20 minutes · self-paced reading + practice
By Dr. Swapnil Sahoo · for adult learners · no account required
01 / Read and try
People can be encouraging about an attractive future idea without facing the problem or intending to buy. Start with a specific recent event. Ask what happened, what the person did, what alternative they used and what effort or cost resulted. Listen for the sequence before presenting your solution. Customer discovery, including the approach used in NSF I-Corps, treats direct customer learning as a way to examine assumptions. This exercise adapts that learning habit; it is not an NSF programme or endorsement.
02 / Read and try
Ask one question at a time and follow the answer. A useful five-question guide covers the recent event, current workaround, difficulty, decision-maker and actual commitment of money or time. Avoid implying that your preferred problem is the important one. Ask permission to take brief notes, record only what is needed and do not request sensitive details. If someone has not experienced the problem, record that too. Their answer may indicate a poor segment rather than a poorly explained pitch.
03 / Read and try
Separate what the person reported, what you infer and what remains unknown. A small convenience sample helps form or challenge hypotheses; it does not measure a whole market. Look for repeated behaviour and contradictions, then choose a modest next test. An opt-in booking for a clearly scoped trial is stronger evidence of action than praise, but a booking, attendance, payment and repeat use are different events. Report the denominator and how participants were selected rather than declaring that customers want the solution.
04 / Make a decision
Put the idea to work · guided practice
A public demonstration using original hypothetical material. Explore choices and compare your reasoning. This activity does not submit work, count towards assessed progress or issue a certificate.
Original hypothetical exercise: a MendMeet founder interviews six volunteers. Three report a clothing repair in the last month. Two of those found travel inconvenient; the third cared mainly about price. Two people agree to receive trial details, but nobody has booked, attended or paid. One friend says the app is a brilliant idea. These are invented notes, not actual demand or conversion data.
Choose the next interview question and write an honest summary of the evidence. Try a different choice to see how the reasoning changes. Feedback is written instructional guidance, not AI-generated advice.
Your notes stay on this page unless you choose to save them in this browser or download them. They are not sent to the Lab. Avoid personal, employer, customer or confidential information. Browser-saved notes can be read by someone using this browser profile.
This is one defensible response. Your recommendation may differ if you explain the assumptions and evidence.
Keep the momentum
Turn an uncertain idea into a commitment you can manage. Set limits on money and time, use what you already have and decide what would justify another step.
Try the next course →Explore the proposed full programme, its capstone and assessment rubric. Dates and enrolment details are separate from this free course.
Explore the programme →This course provides self-practice and written guidance. It does not submit work, certify completion or promise a professional outcome.