# Lesson 4: Workshop 2 - Target Groups

**Who Is Ensuring Our Success?**

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## The Core Question

**Identify WHO out there in the world will make sure, with their use of the product, that you achieve your goals.**

This question contains the entire chain of value creation. Let's break it down:

### Breaking Down the Question

**"WHO"**
- Which representative from which ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)?
- Specific behavioral and contextual profiles
- Not demographics, but real people with real contexts

**"Out there in the world"**
- These are real people whose lives your product needs to touch
- Not abstract user segments, but actual humans in specific situations
- Your product must reach and impact their reality

**"Will make sure"**
- A product needs to be used, and used in the intended way
- Usage alone isn't enough - it must be the right usage
- Their behavior drives the outcome

**"With their use of the product"**
- The product must give more value than the pain of using it
- If usage pain > value gained, they won't care
- They need motivation to engage and continue

**"That you achieve your goals"**
- The use of the product must tie to measurable business goals
- Without this connection, success isn't possible
- This completes the chain: WHO → uses product → right way → creates value → achieves goals

**This distinction is critical** and reflects throughout the entire Trigger Mapping methodology.

---

## Overview

Workshop 2 is where you identify the specific user groups whose behavior will drive your business success. You'll create detailed personas and prioritize them by strategic value.

**Duration:** 20-25 minutes  
**Format:** Conversational with Saga  
**Output:** 3-5 prioritized personas with deep context

---

## What You'll Do

### 1. Identify Groups

**Find the user types who can drive your success:**
- Not demographics ("parents aged 30-45")
- Behavioral and contextual profiles ("busy working parents juggling multiple schedules")
- Real people out there in the world whose lives your product will touch
- 3-5 distinct groups
- Focus on who can help achieve your business goals through their product use

**Key question:** "WHO out there in the world will make sure, with their use of the product, that we achieve our goals?"

### 2. Create Personas

**For each group, develop a rich profile:**
- Name and context (their situation)
- Goals and motivations (what they want)
- Frustrations and fears (what they struggle with)
- Behavioral patterns (how they act)

**Go beyond demographics** - understand their world, their challenges, their aspirations.

### 3. Prioritize

**Rank groups by strategic value:**
- Which groups have highest impact on business goals?
- Which are most feasible to reach and serve?
- Rank 1-N based on strategic importance

**This ranking becomes critical** for the next workshops.

---

## Key Questions Saga Asks

### Identifying Groups

- "Who are the people whose behavior will drive your business success?"
- "What different user types could help you achieve your goals?"
- "Looking at your objectives, who has the power to make them happen?"

### Creating Personas

- "Tell me about [group name]. What's their situation?"
- "What's their context? What are they trying to accomplish?"
- "What are their goals and motivations?"
- "What frustrates them in their current situation?"
- "What do they fear or want to avoid?"
- "What behavioral patterns do they exhibit?"

### Prioritizing

- "Which group has the most potential impact on your top business goal?"
- "Which group is most feasible to reach and serve effectively?"
- "How would you rank these groups by strategic value?"
- "Why does this group rank higher than the others?"

---

## Generic Example

### Target Group 1: Remote Team Leads

**Context:**
- Managing 5-10 distributed team members across time zones
- Responsible for team performance and wellbeing
- Limited visibility into individual struggles

**Goals:**
- Keep team productive and connected
- Recognize and support struggling members early
- Demonstrate effective leadership to management

**Frustrations:**
- Can't tell who's struggling until it's too late
- Async communication creates gaps
- Hard to build team culture remotely
- Limited tools for monitoring team health

**Fears:**
- Team burnout without noticing
- Missed deadlines due to unseen problems
- Poor performance reviews
- Losing top performers
- Team becoming disconnected

**Behavioral Patterns:**
- Checks in with team daily
- Monitors project progress closely
- Seeks early warning signs
- Values data-driven insights

**Priority:** #1 (High impact + reachable + urgent pain)

---

### Target Group 2: Solo Remote Workers

**Context:**
- Working alone from home without office structure
- No team to provide accountability or connection
- Struggling with boundaries and focus

**Goals:**
- Stay focused and productive
- Maintain work-life boundaries
- Feel connected to professional community
- Advance career despite isolation

**Frustrations:**
- Constant distractions at home
- Isolation and loneliness
- Overworking without clear boundaries
- Lack of professional development

**Fears:**
- Career stagnation
- Burnout from overwork
- Losing touch with industry
- Being forgotten by management
- Professional isolation

**Behavioral Patterns:**
- Seeks structure and routine
- Values community connection
- Struggles with self-discipline
- Craves professional growth

**Priority:** #2 (Large market + moderate impact)

---

### Target Group 3: Remote Executives

**Context:**
- Overseeing multiple distributed teams
- Responsible for organizational performance
- Limited visibility into team dynamics

**Goals:**
- Ensure organizational productivity
- Maintain company culture remotely
- Make data-driven decisions
- Retain top talent

**Frustrations:**
- Can't gauge team morale
- Limited insights into team health
- Difficult to spot problems early
- Hard to maintain culture at scale

**Fears:**
- Organizational dysfunction
- Mass turnover
- Productivity decline
- Cultural erosion
- Competitive disadvantage

**Behavioral Patterns:**
- Relies on aggregated data
- Values high-level insights
- Needs quick decision-making tools
- Focuses on organizational metrics

**Priority:** #3 (High value but harder to reach)

---

## Another Generic Example: Public Transport App

This example shows how the same "customers" (travelers) have completely different needs based on their context.

### Target Group 1: Daily Commuters

**Context:**
- Same route every workday (home ↔ work)
- Time-sensitive schedule (must arrive on time)
- Experienced with the system

**Goals:**
- Get to work/home efficiently
- Minimize waiting time
- Avoid delays and disruptions

**Frustrations:**
- Unexpected delays without warning
- Crowded vehicles during rush hour
- Unreliable schedules

**Fears:**
- Being late to work (professional consequences)
- Missing important meetings
- Unpredictable commute times

**Behavioral Patterns:**
- Checks app before leaving
- Knows alternative routes
- Values real-time updates
- Wants predictability

**Priority:** #1 (Highest volume, daily usage, urgent needs)

---

### Target Group 2: Tourists

**Context:**
- Unfamiliar with the city and transit system
- Exploring multiple destinations
- No time pressure but limited trip duration

**Goals:**
- Navigate unfamiliar system confidently
- Find best routes to attractions
- Understand ticketing and payment
- Maximize sightseeing time

**Frustrations:**
- Confusing route options
- Unclear ticketing systems
- Language barriers
- Getting lost or taking wrong line

**Fears:**
- Wasting vacation time being lost
- Looking foolish or incompetent
- Missing key attractions
- Overpaying for tickets

**Behavioral Patterns:**
- Plans routes in advance
- Needs step-by-step guidance
- Values visual/map-based navigation
- Seeks reassurance at each step

**Priority:** #2 (Growing market, different needs than commuters)

---

### Target Group 3: Seniors

**Context:**
- May have mobility limitations
- Less familiar with digital tools
- Often traveling during off-peak hours
- May need accessibility features

**Goals:**
- Travel safely and comfortably
- Avoid physical strain (stairs, long walks)
- Feel confident using the system
- Maintain independence

**Frustrations:**
- Complicated digital interfaces
- Lack of accessibility information
- Physical barriers (stairs, gaps)
- Small text and confusing layouts

**Fears:**
- Falling or getting injured
- Being stranded or unable to get help
- Losing independence
- Embarrassment from not understanding technology

**Behavioral Patterns:**
- Prefers simple, clear interfaces
- Values accessibility information
- Needs larger text and clear instructions
- May prefer human assistance options

**Priority:** #3 (Important for accessibility, regulatory requirements)

---

### Why This Example Works

**Same product (public transport app), completely different needs:**

**Commuters need:**
- Real-time delay alerts
- Quick route alternatives
- Predictability and reliability
- Speed and efficiency

**Tourists need:**
- Step-by-step navigation
- Visual/map-based guidance
- Ticketing help
- Confidence and reassurance

**Seniors need:**
- Accessibility information
- Simple, clear interfaces
- Larger text and buttons
- Safety and comfort features

**The insight:** If you designed only for commuters (speed and efficiency), you'd fail tourists and seniors. If you designed only for tourists (detailed guidance), you'd frustrate commuters who want speed. Understanding these distinct groups allows you to prioritize features strategically.

---

## Why Behavioral Profiles Matter

### Not This (Demographics)

"Parents aged 30-45 with household income $75K+"

**Problem:** Doesn't tell you what drives behavior, what they need, or how to design for them.

### This (Behavioral + Contextual)

"Busy working parents juggling multiple kids' schedules, family dog care, and full-time jobs - constantly afraid of dropping the ball on family responsibilities"

**Why it works:** You understand their world, their challenges, their fears. You can design for their actual needs.

---

## Prioritization Criteria

### Impact on Business Goals

**Ask:**
- Which group's behavior most directly drives our objectives?
- Which group has the power to make our goals happen?
- Which group's success equals our success?

**Example:** Remote Team Leads rank #1 because each one brings 5-10 users (their team), has budget authority, and urgent pain.

### Feasibility to Reach

**Ask:**
- Can we actually reach this group?
- Do we have channels to communicate with them?
- Can we serve them with our resources?
- Is the market size sufficient?

**Example:** Executives rank lower because they're harder to reach despite high value.

### Urgency of Pain

**Ask:**
- How urgent is their problem?
- Are they actively seeking solutions?
- What's the cost of not solving this?

**Example:** Team Leads have urgent pain (team burnout risk) vs Solo Workers have chronic pain (isolation).

---

## What You Get from Workshop 2

✅ **3-5 prioritized personas** with rich context  
✅ **Deep understanding** of each group's world  
✅ **Clear ranking** by strategic value  
✅ **Foundation** for psychological mapping  
✅ **Focus** for design efforts

---

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

### Mistake 1: Demographic Personas

**Problem:** "Males 25-40 with college degrees"  
**Why it fails:** Doesn't explain behavior or needs  
**Fix:** Focus on context, goals, frustrations, fears

### Mistake 2: Too Many Groups

**Problem:** Identifying 10+ different user types  
**Why it fails:** Dilutes focus, impossible to serve all  
**Fix:** Limit to 3-5 most strategic groups

### Mistake 3: No Prioritization

**Problem:** "All groups are equally important"  
**Why it fails:** Can't focus design efforts  
**Fix:** Rank ruthlessly by strategic value

### Mistake 4: Ignoring Feasibility

**Problem:** Targeting groups you can't reach  
**Why it fails:** Wastes resources on impossible goals  
**Fix:** Balance impact with reachability

### Mistake 5: Surface-Level Personas

**Problem:** "They want to be productive"  
**Why it fails:** Too generic to guide design  
**Fix:** Dig deeper - what's their context? Their fears?

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## How This Feeds Into Next Workshops

**Workshop 2 sets up the psychology mapping:**

```
Business Goals
    ↓
Target Groups (prioritized personas)
    ↓
Workshop 3: What drives each group's behavior?
    ↓
Workshop 4: Which drivers are most powerful?
    ↓
Workshop 5: Which features address top drivers?
```

The personas you create here become the foundation for understanding psychological drivers.

---

## Tips for Success

**DO:**
- ✅ Focus on behavioral and contextual profiles
- ✅ Dig deep into frustrations and fears
- ✅ Prioritize ruthlessly (not everyone is #1)
- ✅ Consider both impact and feasibility
- ✅ Create personas you can actually design for

**DON'T:**
- ❌ Use demographic categories only
- ❌ Create too many personas
- ❌ Skip prioritization
- ❌ Accept surface-level descriptions
- ❌ Ignore feasibility constraints

---

## What's Next

Workshop 3 maps the psychological drivers for each persona - both what they want to achieve (positive drivers) and what they want to avoid (negative drivers). This is where you understand the psychology that drives behavior.

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## Key Takeaways

✅ **Behavioral profiles, not demographics** - Context, goals, frustrations, fears  
✅ **3-5 groups maximum** - Focus on strategic value  
✅ **Prioritize ruthlessly** - Rank by impact + feasibility  
✅ **Deep understanding** - Know their world, not just their age  
✅ **Foundation for psychology** - These personas drive next workshops

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[← Back to Lesson 4](lesson-04-workshop-1-business-goals.md) | [Next: Lesson 6 - Workshop 3: Driving Forces →](lesson-06-workshop-3-driving-forces.md)

*Part of Module 05: Trigger Mapping*
