Customer Discovery Script

# Customer Discovery Interview Script

**Customer:** [NAME]
**Date:** [DATE]
**Recording (with permission):** [LINK or NO]

## Ground rules (read silently before the call)
- Ask about the past, not the future.
- Ask about specific events, not opinions.
- Don't pitch. Don't mention your product. Not once.
- Listen for emotional language — that's the signal.

## Questions

1. Tell me about the last time you [tried to solve X].

2. Walk me through what you did, step by step.

3. What was annoying about that?

4. What did you try first?

5. Did you consider any tools / services / approaches? Which ones?

6. What did you end up choosing? Why?

7. How much time did this take?

8. How much did you spend, if anything?

9. What would have made it 10× easier?

10. Have you done this before? How often?

11. Who else is involved when you do this?

12. Is there anything I didn't ask that I should have?

## After the call (within 5 minutes)
- Customer's exact words for the problem:
- Their #1 frustration:
- Their current "solution":
- What they'd pay (only if they mentioned it themselves):
- Whether they'd be willing to try a working solution (only ask at the end, optional):

## Pattern tracker (use after every interview)
| Theme | Mentions across interviews |
|---|---|
| [pattern] | I, II, III |
| [pattern] | I, IV |
| [pattern] | V, VI, VII, VIII |

After 5 interviews, the pattern usually shows itself. After 10 you know if it's a real problem.