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The startup launch living legend, Florin Muresan, has a big list of customer development questions you can ask potential clients during discovery interviews.
PLEASE NOTE: it’s best to take Florin’s “Tales from 29 Money Validated Products” before you start using the questions.
Why? – because you need to better understand which questions belong to which phase, according to the interviews and the market validation phase that you are in right now.
Here are the questions:
???? SECTION 1: Background and Demographics (10 Questions)
- Can you tell me a bit about your business?
- What’s your job title?
- What does a typical day look like for you?
- What tools or software do you currently use daily?
- How big is your team?
- Who makes the final decisions when buying tools?
- What does your tech stack currently look like?
- What is your annual revenue (if applicable)?
- How long have you been in business?
- What industry are you in?
???? SECTION 2: Current Situation & Workflows (10 Questions)
- What are your main responsibilities?
- How do you currently handle [problem area]?
- What does your current process for [X] look like?
- What are your goals for this year?
- What metrics are you tracking regularly?
- What does success look like for your team?
- How are you tracking that success today?
- What’s the most manual task you do repeatedly?
- What part of your workflow frustrates you the most?
- Are there any parts of your job you wish you could automate?
???? SECTION 3: Pain Points & Challenges (15 Questions)
- What’s the biggest challenge you face right now?
- What keeps you up at night?
- What’s a recent frustration you’ve had at work?
- If you could wave a magic wand and solve one problem, what would it be?
- What takes the most time in your daily routine?
- Where do things often go wrong in your process?
- What causes delays in your workflow?
- What are you doing to try to solve this problem right now?
- How much is this problem costing your business?
- Why hasn’t this problem been solved already?
- What happens if this problem doesn’t get fixed?
- How do you feel when this issue occurs?
- What’s the root cause of the issue, in your opinion?
- How many people are affected by this challenge?
- How urgent is it for you to solve this?
???? SECTION 4: Solutions and Tools (10 Questions)
- What have you tried in the past to fix this?
- Which tools or software have you used?
- What worked? What didn’t?
- Why did you stop using that tool?
- What are you currently using to solve this problem?
- On a scale from 1–10, how satisfied are you with your current solution?
- What’s missing from your current setup?
- What would make your life easier?
- What’s your dream solution look like?
- If you could design the perfect product, what would it do?
???? SECTION 5: Buying Behavior and Decision-Making (15 Questions)
- How do you usually discover new tools or products?
- Do you prefer SaaS products or services?
- What’s your typical budget for a solution like this?
- Who else is involved in the buying process?
- What are the steps you go through when buying software?
- What makes you decide to switch tools?
- What’s a dealbreaker when considering a new solution?
- What makes you trust a new company or product?
- How long does it take you to decide on a new purchase?
- What information do you look for before buying?
- Do you usually need a demo or free trial first?
- What would make you upgrade from a free to a paid version?
- What kind of results would justify paying for a new product?
- Do you prefer monthly or annual billing?
- Are there any objections you typically have before buying?
???? SECTION 6: Language, Emotions & Messaging (10 Questions)
- What words would you use to describe this problem?
- How would you describe this issue to your team?
- What’s the #1 frustration you want to scream about?
- What would you type into Google to find a solution?
- How do you explain this challenge to others?
- What’s your boss’s biggest concern?
- What would be a headline that grabs your attention?
- Which terms or phrases annoy you in marketing?
- What emotional reaction do you have to [problem]?
- What would you post on LinkedIn if this problem was solved?
???? SECTION 7: Product Fit and Features (10 Questions)
- If we could build a solution that solves this, would you use it?
- What features would you expect?
- What’s the #1 thing the product must have?
- What would make you stop using our product?
- If you could design the first version, what would it include?
- Would you want integrations with [tools]?
- How important is ease of use for you?
- Would a mobile app version matter?
- Would you be willing to test an early version?
- What’s one killer feature that would make this a no-brainer?
???? SECTION 8: Validation & Willingness (10 Questions)
- Would you pay for a solution like this?
- If so, how much?
- If I built this, can I follow up with you for feedback?
- Would you introduce me to someone else with this problem?
- Would your company budget for this?
- Would you commit to being a beta user?
- Are you open to being a case study if this works for you?
- Have you paid for a similar product before?
- What’s your timeline for solving this?
- What would stop you from trying something new?
???? SECTION 9: Learning from the Past (10 Questions)
- What’s the best SaaS tool you’ve used recently and why?
- What’s the worst product experience you’ve had?
- What’s a product you’ve recommended to friends?
- What made you cancel a subscription recently?
- What feature did you love but couldn’t find anywhere else?
- What’s a trend you’re seeing in your industry?
- What’s something you used to do manually but now automate?
- What are the top 3 tools you couldn’t live without?
- Who do you follow for advice on tools/products?
- What lessons have you learned from past product purchases?
FlorinMuresan
I am anInnovator & CEO
