How to Interview Potential Customers

Do not pitch. Investigate.

Your job is not to convince them your idea is good. Your job is to understand their life as it exists today.

Never ask:

• "Would you use this?"
• "Do you like this idea?"
• "Would you pay for something like this?"

Ask only about the past and the present.

Start with their reality, not your solution

Good opening questions:

• "Walk me through the last time this happened."
• "What did you do when that came up?"
• "How often does this happen?"
• "What breaks when it happens?"

You are looking for concrete stories, not opinions.

If they cannot recall a specific recent example, the problem is not acute.

Pain without action is not pain

This is the critical filter most founders skip.

When someone says:

"Yeah, that's a big problem for me"

Your immediate follow-up is:

• "What are you doing today to deal with it?"
• "What have you tried already?"
• "What does that cost you in time, money, or stress?"

If the answer is:

• "Nothing"
• "I just deal with it"
• "It's annoying but fine"

Measure sacrifice, not excitement

Interest is cheap. Sacrifice is signal.

Strong signals:

• They pay for a workaround
• They built a spreadsheet or internal tool
• They changed a workflow
• They complain unprompted
• They have a budget line item
• They can name competitors without you asking

Weak signals:

• Compliments
• Hypotheticals
• "That would be cool"
• "I'd definitely use that"

Ask for a next step immediately

Do not end interviews politely. End them with a test.

• "Can I watch you do this next time?"
• "Can you intro me to someone else who has this problem?"
• "Would you try a manual version if I did it for you?"
• "Can I email you when I have something hacked together?"

If they will not take a small step, they will not take a big one later.

Customer Validation Interview Template

START WITH THEIR REALITY
- Walk me through the last time this happened.
- What were you trying to do when it came up?
- What did you do when that happened?
- How did you eventually solve or complete it?
- How often does this happen?
- What breaks when it happens?

WHEN THEY SAY "YEAH, THAT'S A PROBLEM"... DIG DEEPER
- What are you doing today to deal with it?
- What have you tried already?
- What did you search for when looking for a solution?
- Why did you stop using [thing they tried]?
- What does that cost you in time, money, or stress?

IF THEY SAY "NOTHING" OR "I JUST DEAL WITH IT"
→ It's not a real problem. Move on or probe a different angle.

LOOK FOR SACRIFICE (real pain leaves evidence)
- Are you paying for anything to help with this?
- Have you built any workarounds? Spreadsheets? Hacks?
- Have you changed how you do things to avoid this?
- What would happen if you just ignored it completely?

TEST COMMITMENT... DON'T END POLITELY
- Can I watch you do this next time it happens?
- Can you intro me to others who have this problem?
- Would you try a manual/ugly version if I did it for you?
- Can I email you when I have something hacked together?

If they won't take a small step, they won't take a big one later.