If you are assessing the viability of your business idea, or writing a business plan, you’ll need to conduct research. Do most of that research by talking to customers and experts, not by surfing the web or reading third party reports.

You are biased, after all. You want your idea to be viable. So if you get to choose which facts to consider, you’ll pick the ones that support your story. Instead, engage in conversations. That way you can listen, probe, and pick up on critical nuances. You may also hear some bad news. But better to hear it now, than once you’ve committed your time, money and reputation to building a company around a false premise. Here are two examples:

Researching your market environment. Yes, you can cite third party studies on how big your market is, and how fast it’s growing. And yes, third party research reports can be useful. But don’t fork over $3,000 for the full report – find the answer in the free press release. And speak directly with industry insiders, so you get insights into how big picture trends relate to your specific opportunity.

Researching customer needs. Interviews, focus groups, and surveys – done well – are a better way to get at the truth than reading research reports.  A potential investor or partner will be more impressed if 150 people you surveyed say they’re dying to buy your product, than by hearing a quote from an article or study. Ask open-ended questions (e.g. what do you need?), learn about customer behaviors – not just their opinions (e.g. what do you spend money on now?), and bounce your theories off them (e.g. if we could deliver something like this, would you buy it?).

Got advice for conducting research on a startup? Please share.