“That sounds useful. I might try it.”
Evidence type
Stated interest
Decision it can inform
Continue investigating the problem; do not treat this as a sale
What remains to be checked
A recent occurrence, current workaround, and meaningful consequence
Free customer discovery template
Free Customer Discovery Template: 12 Interview Questions
Use these questions to understand a specific problem before proposing your solution. You can also use the worksheet to organize feedback you already have. Keep unanswered questions visible instead of filling them with guesses.
Ask about a relevant recent event. If the task happens infrequently, use the last real occurrence rather than forcing a weekly timeframe.
Customer discovery interview questions
12 questions to understand a real task
| # | Main question | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| # 1 | Main questionTell me about the last time you had to do this task. | Follow-upWhat was happening at the time? |
| # 2 | Main questionWhat triggered the task? | Follow-upWhy did it need to happen then? |
| # 3 | Main questionWalk me through how you completed it. | Follow-upWhat happened immediately before and after that step? |
| # 4 | Main questionWhich part was hardest? | Follow-upCan you describe a specific instance? |
| # 5 | Main questionWhat tools or workarounds did you use? | Follow-upWhat did you still have to do manually? |
| # 6 | Main questionHow often has this happened recently? | Follow-upWhat records or examples could help you estimate that? |
| # 7 | Main questionWhat happened when the task was delayed or done badly? | Follow-upWho noticed the consequence? |
| # 8 | Main questionWhat have you tried to improve the process? | Follow-upWhat changed, and what stayed difficult? |
| # 9 | Main questionWhy did you choose your current approach? | Follow-upWhat alternatives did you consider? |
| # 10 | Main questionWho decides whether to change the workflow or buy a tool? | Follow-upWhat happened the last time that decision was made? |
| # 11 | Main questionWhen is this problem small enough to ignore? | Follow-upWhat is different in those situations? |
| # 12 | Main questionWhat has kept you using the current approach? | Follow-upWhat would have to be different for a change to be worth the effort? |
During the conversation
Keep future intent separate from observed actions
Customer discovery template
Copy this evidence worksheet
Use one worksheet for each relevant answer or source. Keep supporting evidence, conflicting evidence, and what remains unknown together.
Select any of this plain text and copy it into your notes.
Customer discovery template
Source reference and date: Relevant role and situation: Question: Answer or short authorized excerpt: Observed behavior or stated opinion: Current workaround: Consequence: Alternative explanation: Evidence supporting the problem: Evidence challenging the problem: What I still need to learn: Decision affected:
Fictional, illustrative completed worksheet
A full example: from one answer to a next decision
This invented example is a format demonstration, not a customer testimonial, validation result, universal threshold, or claim that demand has been proven.
- Source
- Fictional interview, 2026-09-18; operations lead at a 12-person agency. No real person or company is represented.
- Interview answer
- “Last month I copied project handoff dates from email into a shared sheet, then checked the sheet before each Monday meeting.”
- Observed facts
- The participant described one recent workflow, a manual copy step, and a recurring review step. These are reported actions, not independently verified records.
- Inference (keep separate)
- The handoff process may be a narrower problem worth investigating. This does not establish frequency, severity, willingness to change, or demand for a product.
- Evidence that challenges it
- They also said the shared sheet works for small projects and that a coordinator sometimes keeps the dates updated. The workaround may be acceptable in many situations.
- Still unknown
- How often this occurs, who decides on tools, what a missed date costs, why email is used, and whether other agencies describe the same situation.
- Next decision
- Interview two more people with the same role about a recent handoff; compare the workflow and contradictions before narrowing a concept. Stop or change direction if the problem is rare or already acceptable.
Illustrative, invented examples
What an answer can and cannot tell you
These invented examples show how to carry an answer into a decision while keeping contrary evidence and unanswered questions visible.
“Last week I copied follow-up dates into three client sheets, then checked each one every morning.”
Evidence type
Reported past behavior
Decision it can inform
Investigate cross-client coordination as a narrower problem
What remains to be checked
Frequency, cost, why the workaround exists, and willingness to change
“Our shared calendar already handles reminders. I rarely need anything else.”
Evidence type
Evidence challenging the hypothesis
Decision it can inform
Reconsider whether this situation belongs in the target segment
What remains to be checked
Whether an important unmet problem remains in other situations
Carry both supporting and conflicting evidence into your decision note. The goal is to decide what to test next, including whether to narrow the audience or stop investigating a weak hypothesis. Use the SaaS idea evidence checklist to separate observations from assumptions.
See the illustrative EviDemand decision note for the format of a decision note.
Already have notes from several conversations? Use the customer interview analysis guide to compare independent sources, keep contradictions visible, and choose one next test.
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