Skip to content
TheFounder Almanac

08TemplateFoundational

Customer interview guide

A printable prep checklist, opening script, question bank, and note-taking template for customer discovery interviews that produce facts instead of compliments.

By , Founder of Vora IQ

Published

The short answer

Use this guide to prepare for, run, and record a 20- to 30-minute customer discovery interview. It includes a prep checklist, an opening script, questions grouped by what you need to learn, questions to avoid, and a note-taking structure that keeps facts separate from your interpretation.

Level
Foundational
Reading time
4 minutes
Updated
Sources
Editorial analysis
Useful for
All business types

This guide is the working companion to how to run customer interviews that get honest answers, which explains the reasoning behind each part. Copy it, print it, and adapt the wording to your customers. Replace anything in [square brackets].

Before the interview

  • Write down the one thing this round of interviews needs to answer.
  • Confirm the person matches your customer description and has dealt with the problem in the last few months.
  • Schedule 20 to 30 minutes, by phone, video, or in person.
  • Ask permission to take notes or record, and note their answer.
  • Pick 6 to 8 questions from the list below. You won't get to all of them.
  • Decide on a small next step to ask for at the end, such as an introduction or a follow-up call.
  • Open your note-taking template before the call starts.
  • Block 15 minutes after the call to write up your notes.

Opening script

Thanks for making time. I'm [name], and I'm researching how [type of customer] handle [problem area]. I'm not selling anything today. I'm trying to understand how this works in real life, so there are no right or wrong answers. The more specific you can be, the more it helps.

Is it OK if I take notes? [If true: I won't share anything you say with your name attached.]

Then go straight to the first context question. Don't describe your idea.

Questions to ask

Pick from each group. Follow up on interesting answers with "Why?", "Can you give me an example?", or "What happened next?"

Context: understand their situation

  1. Tell me a bit about your role and what a typical [day or week] looks like.
  2. Where does [problem area] fit into that?

The problem: get a specific story

  1. Tell me about the last time [problem] happened. What was going on?
  2. What did you do next?
  3. How often does this come up?

Cost and workarounds: measure the pain

  1. What did that cost you, in money, time, or hassle?
  2. How do you handle it today? What do you use?
  3. What have you tried that didn't work? Why did you stop?
  4. If you've never tried to fix it, why not?

Buying: understand how decisions get made

  1. The last time you paid for something to deal with this, how did you choose it, and who else was involved?
  2. Have you ever switched from one way of handling this to another? What made you switch?

Close: ask for a next step

  1. Who else do you know who deals with this? Would you be willing to introduce me?

Questions to avoid

AvoidWhy
Would you use a product that does [X]?It asks for a prediction, and people are generous when they predict.
How much would you pay for [X]?A hypothetical price isn't a commitment. Ask what they spend now.
Don't you hate it when [problem]?It's leading. It tells them the answer you want.
What do you think of my idea?It turns the interview into a request for encouragement.
Would [feature] be useful?Almost any feature sounds useful in the abstract.

Closing the interview

This has been really helpful. Is there anything I should have asked but didn't? [Pause.] Would it be OK to follow up if I have another question?

If they offered an introduction or another next step, confirm the details before you hang up.

Note-taking structure

Copy this for each interview. Keep facts and your interpretation in separate sections, so you can always see what people actually said.

SectionWhat to write
Interview detailsDate, name or code, role, and how you found them
Their situationThe context that shapes the problem for them
Last time it happenedThe specific story, in order
Frequency and costHow often it happens, and what it cost in money, time, or hassle, in their words
Current solutionWhat they use now, what it costs, and what they dislike about it
Things they've triedWhat they tried, and why they stopped
Exact quotesPhrases worth keeping word for word
CommitmentsIntroductions, follow-ups, or other next steps they agreed to, and whether they followed through
My interpretationWhat you think it means, kept apart from the facts above
SurprisesAnything that contradicts what you expected

After every five interviews

Read your notes side by side and count how often each problem, workaround, and cost comes up. When one pattern clearly repeats, use how to validate a business idea before spending money to turn it into a commitment test.

Questions founders also ask

Frequently asked questions

How many questions should you ask in a customer interview?

Pick 6 to 8 questions for a 20- to 30-minute customer interview. You won't get to all of them, and you'll want time to follow up on interesting answers with "Why?", "Can you give me an example?", or "What happened next?" Choose from each group: context, the problem, cost and workarounds, buying, and a close that asks for an introduction or another next step.

Should you record customer interviews?

You can record a customer interview if the person agrees. Ask permission to take notes or record before you start, and write down their answer. Only promise that you won't share what they say with their name attached if that's true. Whether you record or not, open your note-taking template before the call so you can capture the specific story, costs, and exact quotes.

What should you do after a customer interview?

Spend 15 minutes right after each customer interview writing up your notes, keeping facts, exact quotes, and commitments apart from your own interpretation. Confirm any introduction or next step the person offered. After every five interviews, read your notes side by side and count how often each problem, workaround, and cost comes up. When one pattern clearly repeats, turn it into a commitment test.

Continue on a Founder Path

Validate Your Business Idea

5 lessons. You'll finish with a validation decision memo.

Start the path

About the author

Founder of Vora IQ

Khalel Dumaz is the founder of Vora IQ, which publishes The Founder Almanac, and the author of The Vibe Code Bible, a free guide to building software with AI.

Keep building

Related reading