Customer Discovery: 12 Questions You Must Not Ask Wrong
(Based on Steve Blank’s Customer Discovery framework)
Many founders believe they have “talked to customers.” But when reviewing interview notes, KisStartup often sees the same pattern:
questions are asked incorrectly, answers are interpreted emotionally, and decisions are made based on belief—not evidence.
Customer Discovery is not opinion polling, and it is not a product pitch.
It is a process of validating hypotheses about problems, behaviors, and buying decisions—before building at scale.
Below are the 12 core Customer Discovery questions. Get even one of them wrong, and startups easily fall into the trap of “build first, ask later.”
I. The 12 Core Questions (and How to Ask Them Correctly)
Group A — Is the problem real?
1) When was the last time you encountered this problem?
Avoid: “Do you think this is a problem?”
Ask correctly: bring them back to a specific past situation.
2) What were you doing at the time, and what exactly happened?
Goal: understand context and action flow—not opinions.
3) How often does this problem occur?
If it’s “very rare,” it’s likely not startup-worthy.
4) What frustrated or exhausted you the most in that situation?
This is where the real pain point emerges (not what people claim is painful).
Group B — How they solve it today
5) How are you currently solving this problem?
Always assume customers already have a solution—even if it’s manual or inefficient.
6) How much time, money, or effort does this solution cost you?
Quantifying hidden costs is key to understanding willingness to pay.
7) What don’t you like about your current solution?
If the answer is “It’s fine,” that’s a danger signal.
Group C — Buying decisions & stakeholders
8) Who makes the final decision to buy the solution?
Avoid confusing: user ≠ buyer ≠ payer.
9) When was the last time you bought a similar solution?
Look for real buying behavior, not stated intentions.
10) What factors made you decide to spend money?
Compare price, risk, trust, and implementation time.
Group D — Early validation (without pitching)
11) If a solution could reduce X (time/cost/risk), what would you do next?
Don’t ask “Do you like it?”—ask for the next action.
12) Would you be willing to introduce me to others facing the same problem?
This tests genuine interest better than compliments ever can.
II. Five Non-Negotiable Interview Principles
Ask about the past, not hypothetical futures
→ The past reflects real behavior; the future reflects wishes.
Never pitch during interviews
→ Every pitch contaminates your data.
Silence is a tool
→ Pause 3–5 seconds after answers to let customers continue.
Look for repeated evidence, not great stories
→ At least 7–10 interviews per hypothesis.
Record verbatim quotes, don’t interpret immediately
→ Analyze after the interview.
III. Note-Taking That Enables Decisions (Not Just Storage)
KisStartup’s recommended minimal note template:
- Context: Who? Where? When?
- Current behavior: What are they doing? What tools are used?
- Real pain (verbatim quote): write exactly what they say
- Current cost: time / money / risk
- Buying trigger: what would make them switch
- Priority level: high / medium / low
Don’t write: “They like the product.”
Write: “They spend ~2 hours/day on X and previously paid $120/month for Y.”
IV. When Is It Valid to Build the Product?
According to Steve Blank’s Customer Discovery philosophy:
Only build when you have enough evidence to confirm or reject your hypotheses.
Signs you should build:
- Pain repeats across multiple users in the same segment
- Current solutions are clearly costly or frustrating
- There is real purchasing behavior in the past
- There is an action path (introductions, pre-orders, pilots)
Closing Question for Founders
In your last 10 conversations, how many real behaviors did you capture—and how many were just polite compliments?
The next article in this series will explore the next blind spot:
“You have customers—but no revenue.”
© Copyright KisStartup. Any reproduction, citation, or reuse must clearly credit KisStartup as the source.
Key References
Blank, S. (2013). Why the Lean Startup Changes Everything. Harvard Business Review
Blank, S. & Dorf, B. (2012). The Startup Owner’s Manual. K&S Ranch
Ries, E. (2011). The Lean Startup. Crown Business
First Round Capital Review – Customer discovery & founder bias case studies
This article is synthesized from the above materials and KisStartup’s hands-on startup coaching practice.
