ifying ▁potential ▁consum ers ▁and ▁learning ▁how ▁to ▁better ▁meet ▁their ▁needs . ▁The ▁Customer ▁Development ▁concept ▁emphas izes ▁empir ical ▁research . ▁▁ ▁Customer ▁development ▁is ▁the ▁opposite ▁of ▁the ▁“ if ▁we ▁build ▁it , ▁they ▁will ▁come ” ▁product ▁development - center ed ▁strategy , ▁which ▁is ▁full ▁of ▁ris ks ▁and ▁can ▁ultimately ▁be ▁the ▁down fall ▁of ▁a ▁company . ▁▁ ▁The ▁customer ▁development ▁method ▁was ▁created ▁by ▁serial ▁entrepr ene ur - turn ed - ed uc ator ▁Steve ▁Bl ank , ▁father ▁of ▁the ▁lean ▁startup ▁movement . ▁According ▁to ▁Bl ank , ▁start ups ▁are ▁not ▁simply ▁smaller ▁versions ▁of ▁larger , ▁more ▁developed ▁companies . ▁A ▁startup ▁oper ates ▁in ▁a ▁fashion ▁vast ly ▁different ▁from ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁company ▁and ▁emp lo ys ▁different ▁methods . ▁While ▁larger ▁companies ▁execute ▁known ▁and ▁proven ▁business ▁strateg ies , ▁start ups ▁must ▁search ▁for ▁new ▁business ▁models . ▁Customer ▁Development ▁gu ides ▁the ▁search ▁for ▁a ▁repeat able ▁and ▁scal able ▁business ▁model . ▁ ▁History ▁Customer ▁development ▁was ▁developed ▁by ▁serial ▁entrepr ene ur ▁Steve ▁Bl ank ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁While ▁writing ▁about ▁his ▁experiences ▁as ▁an ▁entrepr ene ur ▁in ▁the ▁Sil icon ▁Valley ▁for ▁his ▁mem oir , ▁Bl ank ▁began ▁to ▁notice ▁patterns ▁in ▁the ▁start ups ▁he ▁was ▁involved ▁with . ▁Rec ogn izing ▁that ▁start ups ▁are ▁not ▁simply ▁smaller ▁versions ▁of ▁large ▁companies , ▁he ▁observed ▁that ▁entrepr ene urs ▁need