Customer Discovery Interview Script
A 12-question script that gets customers talking about their actual problem instead of validating your solution.
EE
Published 3w agoUpdated 2d ago 1,459
Most founder interviews are pitch sessions in disguise. This script keeps you on the customer's side of the table.
The rules
- Ask about the past, not the future.
- Ask about specific events, not opinions.
- Don't pitch. Don't mention your product. Not once.
The questions
- Tell me about the last time you [did the thing your product addresses].
- Walk me through what you did, step by step.
- What was annoying about that?
- What did you try first?
- Did you consider any tools? Which ones?
- What did you end up choosing?
- How much time did this take?
- How much did you spend, if anything?
- What would have made it 10x easier?
- Have you done this before? How often?
- Who else is involved when you do this?
- Is there anything I didn't ask that I should have?
What to do with the answers
After 5 interviews, look for the patterns. If you can't write a one-paragraph "the customer is X, doing Y, frustrated by Z" — keep interviewing.
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