Customer interview questions for your first business
The questions that get honest answers from potential customers, the ones that only get compliments, and a 20-minute interview script.
A customer interview is a conversation about how someone deals with a problem today. It is not a pitch, and it is not a survey about your idea. The rule that matters most comes from Rob Fitzpatrick’s book The Mom Test: ask about their life and what they have actually done, never about whether they like your idea, because even your mother will lie to you if you ask her that.
Questions that get honest answers
These ask about past behavior, which people remember and rarely exaggerate.
- “Tell me about the last time this happened.”
- “What did you do about it?”
- “How do you handle it today? Can you show me?”
- “What have you already tried, and why did you stop using it?”
- “How much time or money does it cost you in a normal month?”
- “Who else is involved when this comes up?”
- “If you could change one thing about how you do this, what would it be?”
- “Is there anyone else I should talk to about this?”
Questions that only get compliments
| Avoid | Why it fails | Ask instead |
|---|---|---|
| “Would you use an app that does X?” | Saying yes is free and polite | “How do you do X today?” |
| “How much would you pay for this?” | People guess, usually high to be nice | “What do you pay for anything that helps with this now?” |
| “Do you think this is a good idea?” | You are asking for an opinion, not a fact | “What happened the last time this was a problem?” |
| “Would you want feature Y?” | Everyone wants more features in theory | “What do you do when Y comes up?” |
A 20-minute interview script
Minutes 0 to 2: set the frame
“Thanks for your time. I’m looking into how people handle [problem], and I’m not selling anything today. There are no right answers, and the most useful thing you can do is tell me how it really works for you.”
Minutes 2 to 12: the last time it happened
Ask them to walk you through a recent, specific occurrence. Keep asking “what happened next?” and “how did you do that?” until you understand each step, the tools involved and where it went wrong. This part should take most of the call.
Minutes 12 to 17: cost and attempts
Ask what it costs them and what they have tried. Listen for spreadsheets, paid tools they cancelled, freelancers, and hours lost every week, because each of these is a sign the problem is worth money.
Minutes 17 to 20: close
Ask who else you should talk to, and whether you can follow up when you have something to show. If the problem is clearly painful for them, you can describe your offer briefly at this point and see how they react, keeping in mind that the earlier answers matter more than this one.
After each call
Write your notes within the hour, using their words rather than your summary. A simple format is enough:
- Who they are and how you found them
- The last time the problem happened, step by step
- What they use today and what it costs
- Exact phrases worth reusing in your offer
- Strength of the problem from 1 to 5, and why
- Agreed next step, if any
After ten calls, read all the notes together. If the same problem shows up in most of them, described in similar words, you have something to test with a pre-sale. The next step is in how to validate a business idea.
How to get the interviews
Start with people you can reach through someone you know, because a warm introduction gets a reply far more often than a cold message. Then try communities where your customers already discuss the problem, following each community’s rules and saying that you are a founder researching the topic. Keep the request small: 20 minutes, a clear reason, and a promise not to sell.
Many of these first interviewees end up among your first customers, which is covered in how to find your first 10 customers.