Customer discovery interviews: questions that reveal real demand
A founder can receive enthusiastic feedback without finding a buyer. Customer discovery becomes useful when conversations reveal recent actions, costly workarounds and a specific person who owns the problem.
Ask about the last occurrence
Invite people to describe the last time the problem happened. Ask what triggered it, who helped, how long the workaround took and what they paid. Avoid presenting your product until you understand their process. Record observations separately from interpretations so a friendly response does not become invented demand.
A worked example
An illustrative payroll startup hears that reports are inconvenient. Further interviews reveal that monthly reconciliation consumes two full days. That recurring task becomes a narrower discovery focus than general reporting.
Illustrative scenario; this is not a claim about an actual Conxn client or guaranteed results.
Your action checklist
- Recruit users outside your immediate friends
- Capture recent behaviour rather than purchase promises
- Group evidence by role and business size
How many interviews are enough?
Continue until you understand recurring patterns and meaningful exceptions. A round of interviews informs a hypothesis; it does not establish a universal market size.
AI-assisted editorial guide for practical business planning. Adapt the framework to your context and seek qualified advice for material financial, legal, employment or contractual decisions.