Gather Discovery Inputs and Empirical Evidence
The founder collects qualitative and quantitative inputs from customer discovery interviews, expert calls, existing data room notes, and external industry benchmarks. They validate theoretical stakeholder roles against real-world purchasing behaviours observed in target accounts. This grounds the mapping effort in verified customer facts rather than internal founder assumptions.
Completing this action validates theoretical stakeholder categorisations using empirical evidence from active market interactions. It ensures the stakeholder map accurately reflects actual organisational buying processes and political dynamics.
The founder must compile a structured evidence log detailing discovery interview transcripts, procurement policy notes, and confirmed deal histories. Each stakeholder role in the map must be cross-referenced against verifiable primary or secondary source data.
Five questions an expert would ask when reviewing your output
Use these to challenge assumptions, pressure-test your logic, and check the quality of this action's output in the context of the parent task and wider venture development.
- 1
How many primary discovery interviews with actual budget holders underpin this stakeholder taxonomy?
- 2
What specific statements from procurement leads confirm the sign-off criteria you have documented?
- 3
How do you account for conflicting feedback between operational users and senior budget holders?
- 4
What external benchmarks or competitor deal histories did you cross-reference to validate these buying cycles?
- 5
Where does your current evidence base rely on founder assumption rather than direct customer validation?