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Customer: VP of Product Design at enterprise retailerCustomer’s Customer: Internal stakeholders (product managers, engineers, executives) who consume design deliverables
Mission: Deliver world-class digital experiences that drive customer conversion and loyaltySuccess Metrics:Design-to-dev handoff time (target: under 48 hours)Stakeholder approval cycle (target: under 3 rounds)Design system adoption across product teams (target: over 90%)Time-to-market for new features (target: 20% reduction)
Internal: 47 designers across 3 time zones, legacy design files in multiple formats, no single source of truthExternal: Regulatory requirements for accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA)Emotional/Psychological: Fear of big bang tool migration disrupting active projects; senior designers resistant to changeRelationships: Friction with engineering over handoff quality; executives question design ROI
Sketch + Abstract for version control (requires Mac, slow sync)Adobe XD (limited real-time collaboration)Manual Slack/email threads for feedback (context gets lost)Remote/hybrid work now permanent: cloud collaboration non-negotiableCompetitors shipping faster with integrated design-dev workflowsNew AI-assisted design tools entering marketPressure from CEO to demonstrate design business impact
Weekly design reviews via Zoom screen share (inefficient, async impossible)Engineers screenshot Sketch files, rebuild in code (high error rate)3 different teams using 3 different design toolsManual asset exports to shared drive (version confusion common)Monthly design system sync meetings to align on components (mostly ignored)Tracking projects in spreadsheets with status manually updated
Forcing Function: Q2 product launch in 90 days. No tool decision means launch delay.What Breaks If We Wait: Three teams ship with three different design systems. Technical debt becomes permanent.Timeline: Decision by Feb 15, rollout by March 1Success Milestone: 100% team adoption within 60 days of launchInnovation Waypoint: Exploring AI-assisted design prototyping
Customer: Director of Food Services at tech company headquarters (2,000 employees)Customer’s Customer: Employees they feed daily; community beneficiaries of donated food
Mission: Provide an exceptional dining experience while minimizing the environmental footprintSuccess Metrics:Food waste reduction (target: 50% decrease from baseline)ESG report metrics for sustainability (annual board requirement)Employee satisfaction with dining services (target: over 4.2/5)Cost per meal served (maintain or decrease)
Internal: No dedicated sustainability staff; kitchen team at capacity; limited cold storage for holding donationsExternal: Health department regulations on food donation timelines; liability concerns from legalEmotional/Psychological: Chef worried about reputation if giving away food implies overproduction/poor planningRelationships: Facilities team controls waste contracts; CFO skeptical of ROI on sustainability initiatives
Compost contract with waste hauler (costs money, no community benefit)Ad-hoc donations to local shelter (unreliable pickup, no tracking)Employee take-home program (minimal impact, liability concerns)California SB 1383 mandates organic waste diversion: compliance required by JanuaryThe CEO committed the company to carbon neutrality by 2030ESG ratings now affect company stock pricePeer companies publishing food rescue metrics in sustainability reportsEmployees actively requesting more visible sustainability efforts
Tracking waste by weight in a spreadsheet (self-reported, inaccurate)Monthly calls with the compost vendor to review tonnageQuarterly sustainability report assembled manually from multiple sourcesChef estimates daily production; adjusts based on cafeteria traffic (reactive)Occasional food donations when convenient (no systematic approach)Annual sustainability audit scramble to gather documentation
Forcing Function: SB 1383 penalty phase begins January. Non-compliance means fines and public disclosure.What Breaks If We Wait: Failed compliance audit. CFO blames Food Services. Director’s job at risk.Timeline: Pilot program needed within 60 days to demonstrate compliance pathSuccess Milestone: First tracked donation pickup within 2 weeks of signingInnovation Waypoint: Real-time food production analytics to reduce waste at source
Customer: Owner of boutique fitness studio (solo entrepreneur, 150 members)Customer’s Customer: Current members and prospective clients in local community
Mission: Build a thriving community through fitness that supports my lifestyle and helps others get healthySuccess Metrics:New member sign-ups (target: 15/month)Member retention rate (target: over 85%)Social media engagement (likes, shares, inquiries from posts)Time spent on admin/marketing (target: under 5 hours/week)
Internal: No marketing training; budget is tight; time is consumed by teaching classesExternal: Competing with franchise gyms with professional marketing teamsEmotional/Psychological: Perfectionism: delays posting because graphics don’t look professional enoughRelationships: Hired nephew once to do flyers; result was embarrassing; reluctant to outsource again
Copying competitor posts and tweaking (feels inauthentic)PowerPoint for flyers (time-consuming, amateur results)Paying Fiverr designer $50-100 per piece (expensive at volume)Instagram built-in tools (limited templates)Instagram algorithm now favors Reels and polished graphicsMembers expect professional-looking communicationsLocal competitors are upping their social media gamePlatform ads appearing everywhere (awareness building)Other studio owners in a Facebook group sharing success stories
2+ hours weekly struggling with design (often gives up)Posting inconsistently (bursts of activity, then weeks of silence)Reusing same tired promo photos from 2019Class schedules sent as plain text emails (low engagement)Printing flyers at Staples (costly, outdated quickly)Asking members to share with friends as primary marketing
Forcing Function: Holiday promotion campaign launching in 3 weeks. Last year’s campaign flopped.What Breaks If We Wait: January is make-or-break for fitness studios. Weak holiday campaign means empty classes in Q1.Timeline: Needs working templates by this weekendSuccess Milestone: Complete campaign assets in under 2 hours (vs. 8+ hours last year)Innovation Waypoint: Interested in AI-generated caption suggestions
Filling in West with what customers SAY they do (use observation, not self-report)Treating the compass as static (update quarterly minimum)Building a compass for the customer you WANT, not the customer who EXISTSSkipping Center (if you don’t know their customer, you don’t know them)Stopping at diagnosis without thinking through the strategic implication
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Customer Compass Examples
Customer Compass Examples
Aligned to Customer’s Compass v1.2
These examples illustrate what a Customer Compass looks like from the customer’s viewpoint. The compass captures your customer’s world, not yours.
Purpose of These Examples: These are not templates to copy. They demonstrate how a Customer Compass emerges from discovery conversations. Study the PROCESS: which questions surfaced which insights, where misalignments appeared, and how diagnosis led to strategic action.
Effort Required: A useful Customer Compass typically emerges from 5-10 customer discovery conversations within your target segment. Expect 2-3 iterations as patterns clarify.
A Note on Order: Examples place Center first to emphasize customer-centricity. In practice, North often surfaces first in interviews. Either flow works; the connections between directions matter more than sequence.
Compass Direction Reference
Direction
What It Captures
Key Interview Question
North
Customer’s North Star (mission, measures, metrics)
“What does success look like in 12 months? How will you be measured?”
South
Obstacles and constraints blocking North
“What’s stopping you from getting there?”
East
External forces and existing alternatives
“What’s changing in your world? How do you solve this today?”
West
Current work they’re actually doing (the WALK)
“Walk me through what you did last week on this.”
Center
The customer and their customer
“Who are you ultimately serving? How do they measure you?”
There are no rows in this table
Example 1: Enterprise SaaS Customer Compass
(Design collaboration tool selling to a Product Design Team at a Fortune 500 - eg FIgma)
Center: Customer & Customer’s Customer
Interview question that surfaced this: “When your work is done, who judges whether it succeeded?”
North: Customer’s Mission, Measures & Metrics
Interview question that surfaced this: “What metrics is your CEO asking about? What would get you promoted this year?”
South: Stakeholder Obstacles & Constraints
Interview question that surfaced this: “You mentioned wanting faster handoffs. What’s actually preventing that today?”
East: External Environment & Forces
Existing Alternatives:
External Forces & Emerging Opportunities:
Interview question that surfaced this: “How are you solving this today? What’s changed in your environment in the last 12 months?”
West: Work Customer Is Currently Doing
Customer quote: “I spend more time in meetings ABOUT the design than actually designing. And then engineering still builds it wrong.”
Interview question that surfaced this: “Walk me through your last design review. What happened after the meeting ended?”
Waypoints
Discovery Insight
We assumed the blocker was tool features. The compass revealed it was a relationship friction with engineering. The VP’s real pain wasn’t “better design software” but “stop the blame game with dev.” Our entry point shifted from product capabilities to workflow integration. The champion is VP Design, but the economic buyer is actually the CTO, who’s frustrated by rework cycles.
⚡ Compass Diagnosis
North-South tension: High. Clear mission (faster shipping) blocked by concrete obstacles (fragmented tools, change resistance).
East-West misalignment: Critical. External forces (remote work, AI tools, competitor pressure) demand async-first collaboration, but West reveals the team is stuck in synchronous Zoom workflows. This is the wedge.
Pattern Recognition: This matches the “tool consolidation” buying trigger seen repeatedly in enterprise software. When teams use 3+ tools for one workflow, the pain of switching becomes less than the pain of staying. Timing is everything: they just failed a product launch due to handoff errors.
Strategic Implication
Lead with engineering handoff pain, not design features. Position as “single source of truth” rather than “better design tool.” Sales motion should include CTO in the first meeting, not just design leadership.
Compass → CPD: This compass revealed the Customer Problem Definition should focus on: “Design teams waste 40% of review cycles on handoff errors because there’s no single source of truth accessible to both designers and developers.”
Example 2: Non-Profit Customer Compass
(Food rescue platform selling to a Corporate Food Services Director - eg a company like Replate)
Center: Customer & Customer’s Customer
Interview question that surfaced this: “Who depends on you doing your job well? Who notices when things go wrong?”
North: Customer’s Mission, Measures & Metrics
Interview question that surfaced this: “What’s in your annual review? What would make your boss thrilled with you this year?”
South: Stakeholder Obstacles & Constraints
Interview question that surfaced this: “What’s the real reason this hasn’t been solved already?”
East: External Environment & Forces
Existing Alternatives:
External Forces & Emerging Opportunities:
Interview question that surfaced this: “What’s changed in the last year that makes this more urgent? How do peer companies handle this?”
West: Work Customer Is Currently Doing
Customer quote: “I’d rather compost than admit I’m overproducing. But now the state is forcing the issue.”
Interview question that surfaced this: “Show me how you tracked food waste last month. What happened to the excess from Tuesday’s event?”
Waypoints
Discovery Insight
We assumed the buyer cared about community impact. The compass revealed that compliance fear is the real driver. The Director’s job is on the line if they fail the January audit. “Doing good” is the story they tell employees; “avoiding penalties” is why they’ll actually buy. The chef’s ego is a hidden blocker we didn’t anticipate: frame donations as “planned giving,” not “waste reduction.”
⚡ Compass Diagnosis
North-South tension: Extreme. Mission requires waste reduction, but internal constraints (no staff, chef resistance) and external constraints (legal concerns) have blocked action for years.
East-West misalignment: Severe. East shows regulatory pressure and peer company action. West shows manual spreadsheets and ad-hoc donations. The gap is unsustainable. Something must change.
Pattern Recognition: This is the “regulatory forcing function” pattern. Seen repeatedly in environmental compliance, data privacy (GDPR), accessibility. Customer has known about the problem for years but only acts when penalties loom. Sales cycle compresses dramatically in the final 90 days before the deadline.
Strategic Implication
Lead with compliance, not community impact. First call should include legal or facilities, not just Food Services. Pricing can be premium because the alternative is fines. Offer “audit-ready reporting” as primary value prop.
Compass → CPD: This compass revealed the Customer Problem Definition should focus on: “Food Services Directors face SB 1383 penalties but lack tracking systems to prove compliance or liability protection to donate safely.”
Example 3: B2C Customer Compass
(DIY design platform targeting a Small Business Owner - eg a business like Canva)
Center: Customer & Customer’s Customer
Interview question that surfaced this: “Who are you trying to reach? What do they need from you?”
North: Customer’s Mission, Measures & Metrics
Interview question that surfaced this: “What would make this year a success for your studio? What numbers do you watch?”
South: Stakeholder Obstacles & Constraints
Interview question that surfaced this: “What’s stopped you from posting more consistently? What happened last time you tried to get help?”
East: External Environment & Forces
Existing Alternatives:
External Forces & Emerging Opportunities:
Interview question that surfaced this: “How do you create your posts today? What do you see competitors doing that you wish you could do?”
West: Work Customer Is Currently Doing
Customer quote: “I know I should post more. I open the app, stare at it for 20 minutes, hate everything I make, and close it. Then I feel guilty for a week.”
Interview question that surfaced this: “Walk me through the last time you tried to create a social media post. What happened?”
Waypoints
Discovery Insight
We assumed the problem was “lack of design skills.” The compass revealed that the real blockers are perfectionism and past failure. She CAN make basic designs. She doesn’t SHIP them because they never feel good enough. The nephew disaster created outsourcing trauma. The product need isn’t “easy design” but “permission to post imperfect content” plus “professional enough not be embarrassed.”
⚡ Compass Diagnosis
North-South tension: High. Wants 15 new members monthly, but perfectionism blocks the visibility required to attract them. Self-imposed obstacle is the hardest to overcome.
East-West misalignment: Moderate. East shows competitors posting daily with polished graphics. West shows 2019 photos and weekly guilt spirals. The gap grows every day she doesn’t post.
Pattern Recognition: This is the “perfectionism paralysis” pattern common in solo entrepreneurs. They know what to do, but can’t start. The product that wins isn’t the most powerful; it’s the one that gets them to ship. Templates that are “good enough” beat features that enable “perfect.”
Strategic Implication
Onboarding should produce a FINISHED, POSTED asset in the first 10 minutes. Don’t teach features; create immediate success. Testimonials should feature “I actually posted!”, not “I made beautiful designs.” Free trial converts when she publishes something and gets a like.
Compass → CPD: This compass revealed the Customer Problem Definition should focus on: “Solo business owners know they should post more but don’t because the gap between what they can create and what they see competitors posting feels insurmountable.”
Key Principles for Your Compass
1. West Is the Walk
Observe what customers actually do, not what they say they want. The gap between West and North reveals opportunity.
Example: The fitness studio owner says she wants to post daily (North). Her West reveals she posts twice monthly. That gap is your opportunity.
2. North-South Tension
North Star blocked by South obstacles creates a problem worth solving. If there is no tension, there is likely no urgency.
Example: The Food Services Director’s mission requires sustainability (North), but chef ego and legal fears block action (South). High tension means high motivation to engage.
3. East-West Reality
East shows what is changing around them; West shows how they are responding (or not). Misalignment here signals opportunity.
Example: External forces demand async collaboration (East), but the design team still runs synchronous Zoom reviews (West). That misalignment is your wedge.
4. Center Matters
Understanding your customer’s customer reveals how you can make them look good downstream.
Example: The VP of Design’s real customer is engineering. Help her look good to them, and you’ve earned a champion.
5. Waypoints for Timing
Know where they are in their journey and what milestones matter. Forcing functions determine urgency.
Example: SB 1383 penalties in January transformed a “someday” problem into a “this quarter” purchase.
6. Know When to Walk Away
A compass that shows weak North-South tension, satisfied West (current solutions working), or no urgent East forces is telling you something: this customer isn’t your MVS. The compass saves you from chasing poor-fit customers.
Example: If the design team had just renewed a 3-year Sketch contract and had no launch pressure, the compass would reveal: not now.
7. Common Mistakes
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