Customer interview guide

Write a guide for 30-minute customer interviews.

What I am building or exploring:
{{idea}}

Who I will talk to:
{{people}}

What I most need to learn:
{{learning goal}}

Include:
1. Three or four assumptions these interviews should test, each stated so an answer could prove it wrong.
2. Questions in the order to ask them. Ask about specific past situations ("Tell me about the last time…"), what people did and what it cost them. Do not ask whether they would use or pay for my idea, and do not describe or pitch it at any point.
3. For each question, a follow-up that digs for detail, and a note on which assumption it tests.
4. Signals to listen for: what would count as strong evidence for or against each assumption.
5. Mistakes to avoid in this particular interview.

Cover how often the problem happened in a recent, defined period, what they did about it, what it cost them, and any tool or workaround they already use or pay for. Do not assume the problem exists: include questions that would reveal it is minor or already solved. Do not assume facts about these people (their tools, contracts, location, schedules) or describe what they typically do; ask instead.

Write the questions in plain spoken language.

How to use it

Describe the idea and the people briefly, and be specific about what you need to learn, for example whether the problem happens often enough to pay for. Take notes on what people did, not what they say they would do.

Example

idea

A tool that automatically follows up on late invoices for freelance designers, with polite reminder emails and a late fee option.

people

Freelance designers who send 5 to 20 invoices a month

learning goal

Whether late payment is a frequent, costly enough problem that they would pay to fix it, and how they handle it today.