Customer Research
Customer Discovery Interviews: A Practical Guide for Founders
Discovery interviews reveal real problems, not just what users think they want. Here is how to run them so they produce insights you can actually act on.
A good discovery interview is not a sales call and it is not a survey. It is a structured conversation designed to reveal how a person currently experiences a problem, what they already do to address it, and what a better world would look like for them.
The goal is to leave the conversation with a clearer picture of the problem — not to convince the interviewee that your solution is great. If you are pitching during a discovery interview, you are doing it wrong.
Who to interview
Target people who currently experience the problem you are trying to solve, not people who would theoretically experience it in the future. Specificity is critical:
- If you are building for startup founders, talk to founders, not aspiring founders.
- Talk to people who have already tried to solve the problem, even imperfectly.
- Avoid close friends who may be too encouraging to be honest.
- Target 15 to 25 interviews before drawing conclusions about patterns.
Interview structure that works
Opening (5 minutes). Thank them, set expectations. Explain you are not selling anything and you want to learn from their experience. Ask them to be honest and critical.
Background (5 minutes). Understand their role, context, and relevant experience. Who do they work with? What tools do they use day to day?
Problem exploration (20 minutes). Ask about the specific domain you care about. What is hard about it? Walk me through what you did last time you faced this problem. What did you try? What did you wish existed?
Current solutions (10 minutes). What do they currently use to address this? How much do they pay for it? What does it get wrong?
Close (5 minutes). Is there anything else relevant they want to share? Can you follow up? Can they refer others who face similar issues?
Questions that unlock real insights
- "Tell me about the last time you faced this problem."
- "What did you do when that happened?"
- "How much time or money does this problem cost you?"
- "What have you already tried to solve it?"
- "What would need to be true for you to switch from your current approach?"
Red flags to watch for
- The person says they want your solution but has never tried to solve the problem before.
- They cannot give you a specific example of when this problem affected them.
- They say it is a problem but admit they only think about it once a year.
- Everyone you interview sounds different — no pattern means you are talking to too broad an audience.
After discovery, find the right platforms
Once you know who your customer is, you need to reach them. UpStart identifies the platforms where your ideal customers discover new tools, so you can skip the guesswork.