The most impactful thing that you can do when you are trying to innovate is to start by spending time with customers to gain an in-depth understanding of them and the problem you want to help them solve (you only have a hypothesis of the problem now). Interview them and if possible, also directly observe them in their natural setting and context where the problem occurs - you want to learn about the problem, their unmet needs, preferences, goals, and more. This is applicable regardless of if you are interested in developing a for-profit venture or non-profit venture, or a community impact project.
By “customers”, we are referring to the beneficiaries, customers, users, potential buyers of your product or service, and stakeholders who are involved in the problem and have the ability to influence the adoption decision of solutions for solving the problem.
By learning about your customers, you're more likely to create something they actually want, need, and use, and that addresses a pain or problem in their lives! If they don’t want or need what you create, you won’t be able to create your intended impact and you won’t be able to have viable venture (for-profit or non-profit).
Use the following resources to help you conduct interviews in the right way:
Customer discovery interview checklist