The Perfect Review
Product Discovery // Solution Space
How can you get into the headspace of where you want the product to be in the future? You can use this product discovery technique in the solution space to unlock that mindset.
This technique is called the “Perfect Review” and I’d consider it to be under the “Solution space” in product discovery.
Have you ever looked for a new restaurant on Google Maps or Yelp? Have you ever searched for a product on amazon and picked one with tens of thousands of 4 star reviews or higher?
People typically take the 1-5 star reviews as a major factor in their decision making.
If we imagine what a 1 star, 5 star and above 5 star review would look like, we can unlock groundbreaking ideas.
How to utilize the Perfect Review technique
Set the stage
With your team, set the stage of what you know. Write down what a 1 star review looks like. Better yet, use a real one or some sort of customer verbatim!
Then write down what a 5 star review looks like or what it would look like.
Tip: Show don’t tell here. Be descriptive and over communicate. Don’t use generic language like “secure, simple, easy, quick, etc.”
Truly imagine what the customer looks and feels like, what emotions does that customer experience throughout?
Align
Now that we have a cohesive understanding of 1 and 5 star reviews. Write down the themes across each. Take note of what you see across positive and negative reviews.
Above and beyond
Now that you have alignment, we understand what problems cause negative customer experiences. What could we do to make a customer write a review HIGHER THAN 5 STARS???
This is where the magic happens.
What could you do to solve all the 1 star reviews and make the experience so significant that on a scale of 1-5, the customer wants to leave you a 10 star or even higher?
The mindset in the group will now shift and your team will now dream up remarkable experiences.
Have your team write out what these above and beyond reviews would look like.
They will most likely be experiences that are much “sweeter” than what the current product is offering today.
Review and Remix Ideas
Next the team can review the above and beyond reviews, jotting down ideas that seem relevant, plausible, etc.
What actually has legs? Can we achieve any of these “outrageously good” experiences?
Break them down where possible.
Test Ideas
Once your session concludes with your team, you can test ideas out with customers by asking them if ABC would yield XYZ. etc.