Customer discovery that finds real demand

Use this for problem interviews — the kind you run before you've built anything. Each question is open-ended; let them talk.

1. "Walk me through the last time you did [task]." Get the story. Names, tools, friction.
2. "What was the hardest part of that?" This is where the pain lives. Stay quiet after.
3. "Why was that hard?" Push for root cause. Most first answers are surface.
4. "What did you try to solve it?" Active searching = real pain. "I just lived with it" = mild pain.
5. "What would solving this be worth?" Pause. Watch what they say (and don't say). Anyone who can't quantify isn't paying.

What you DON'T ask: "Would you use a tool that...?" — they'll lie politely. "Is this a problem you'd pay for?" — same. You're listening for stories, not pitching.

Problem interviews (first 20-50 conversations): Goal is to confirm the problem exists, who has it, how often, what they pay today. No product talk. Listen 90% of the time.

Solution interviews (next 10-20 conversations, after you have a prototype): Show what you'd build. Ask "what would this not do that you'd still need?" Look for unprompted use-case extensions — they reveal where the value actually is.

The trap: Skipping problem interviews and going straight to solution. Almost guarantees you build the wrong thing. Even worse: hearing politely positive solution feedback ("looks cool!") and treating that as demand.

How many: ~15 interviews before you spot patterns. ~30 to be confident about the segment. After ~50 you're in diminishing returns. Most founders do 3 and call it done.

Signs of real demand:

• They name the workaround they use today (time, money, frustration cost)
• They mention specific recent moments of pain (last week, last month)
• They volunteer "if you build this, send me the link"
• They sign LOIs or pre-pay

Signs of fake demand:

• General enthusiasm ("great idea!", "I'd definitely use that") without specifics
• "I have a friend who would love it" (always a flag — your customer is never their friend)
• "Drop me a line when it's ready" with no urgency
• Praise that focuses on the founder, not the problem

When in doubt: ask for $1 of commitment. A pre-order, a LOI, a calendar hold. Free praise is cheap; the moment you ask for anything real, the demand reveals itself.