Milestone 1: let stakeholder needs shape your idea

The goal is a credible match between a stakeholder’s needs and something you can provide.

Two Starting Paths

  • Stakeholder first (recommended): identify people, research their work, then explore their needs.
  • Idea first (also okay): bring a tentative idea to relevant people and let their priorities reshape it.

Your idea is a starting hypothesis. Seek a problem they care about solving.

Reach Out Early

  1. Learn enough about their context to ask useful questions.
  2. Invite a brief email exchange or call, if they are interested.
  3. Ask about needs, pain points, and what would help.
  4. Offer a few concise ideas as conversation starters; refine them together as you learn.

Design thinking makes learning from people part of the process

Mode What You Do
Empathize Learn about people’s work, experiences, and priorities.
Define Frame a specific need in its real context.
Ideate Explore several ways to address that need.
Prototype Make a small, inexpensive version people can react to.
Test Observe what helps; revise the idea or the problem definition.

Return to earlier modes as you learn. Stakeholders help shape both the problem and the solution.

A useful first conversation explores their actual experience

Suggested Quickstart

  • Prepare around a stakeholder’s context; invite a short conversation.
  • Ask: “Can you walk me through the last time this was difficult?”
  • Follow up: “How do you handle it today? What would make a meaningful difference?”
  • Summarize what you heard, check your interpretation, then explore possible help.

Optional Starting Resources