Testing the Hypothesis, Part Two

Interviews

Interview 1: The first person I interviewed owned a 32-oz. reusable water bottle, so I assumed they would identify with my solution. However, after talking to them, it became clear that they were very brand-loyal. They thought that it wouldn't be worth an easy cleaning to ditch the brand that they've been using for so long.

Takeaway: I thought anyone that owned a 32-oz. water bottle would identify with my solution, but it turns out that some people are so brand loyal that they aren't willing to switch brands.

Interview 2: The second person I interviewed has multiple 32-oz. water bottles, so I assumed that they would definitely feel the pain of cleaning them. I was surprised to hear that they had mostly received the water bottles as gifts and wasn't willing to spend considerable money on a new water bottle when they have multiple ones that they deem "good enough."

Takeaway: There are some people that aren't willing to invest more of their money into a new water if they already own one, despite the added benefit of being easier to wash.

Interview 3: The third person I interviewed owns 32-oz. bottle and when I described the problem and my solution they acknowledged my idea but said they wouldn't buy it. They said that they wouldn't buy it because they have come up with their own way to wash the inside of the bottle and they said that it cleans the inside well. They weren't willing to spend money on a product that fixes a problem that they can fix themselves.

Takeaway: There are people that have the problem, but have come up with their own solution that they think works just fine.

Interview 4: The fourth person I interviewed had a 36-oz. Yeti Rambler. I thought they would fit inside the boundary but they gave me a couple reasons why they don't. First they said that they wouldn't ever use a non-insulated water bottle because they only drink cold water. Second, they said that the Rambler is already easy for them to wash, so they don't have the same problem I thought they would.

Takeaway: People that have an insulated water bottle don't need my solution because my solution because it's non-insulated. Also, some larger water bottles are already easy to wash on the inside, which eliminates my opportunity.

Interview 5: The fifth person I talked to said that they would rather not buy a new water bottle just so it cleans better. They like the uniqueness of their bottle and would rather buy a product that is made to clean the inside of small-mouth bottles. They added that it would be important to them for this product to be environmentally friendly.

Takeaway: Some people would rather buy a product that's designed to clean a water bottle rather than a new water bottle that's easier to clean.

Comparison

Inside the Boundary	Outside the boundary
Who is in: People who own a 32-oz. water bottle, haven't come up with their own solution to it, have the money to spend on a new water bottle, and would rather buy a water bottle than a specialized cleaning device	Who is not in: People who don't own a 32-oz. water bottle, don't have extra spending money, have come up with a solution on their own, and would rather buy a specialized cleaning product
What the need is: For a water bottle that is easy to clean but also convenient to drink from	What the need is not: A waste of money when people can come up with their own solutions or would rather buy a cleaning item made for water bottles with small mouths
Why the need exists: People have a hard time cleaning the inside of 32-oz. water bottles because the mouth of the water bottle is too small.	Alternative Explanations: People would rather just clean the bottle they always have; some even said that they don't really see it as a problem.