Customer interviews are the cheapest, fastest way to learn whether your problem is real. They are also easy to get wrong. People are polite. Ask “Would you use this?” and most will say yes, then never buy.
The fix, popularised by Rob Fitzpatrick’s book The Mom Test, is simple: talk about their life, not your idea.
Good questions vs bad questions
| Bad (hypothetical) | Good (past behaviour) |
|---|---|
| Would you use an app for this? | Tell me about the last time you dealt with this. |
| How much would you pay? | What do you spend on this today, in money or time? |
| Do you think this is a good idea? | What have you tried to fix it? Why didn’t that work? |
| Would your company buy this? | Who decides on purchases like this? How did the last one happen? |
How to run a 20-minute interview
- Set the scene (2 min): “I’m researching how small shops manage inventory. I’m not selling anything.”
- Their story (12 min): ask about the last time the problem happened. Dig with “why?” and “what happened next?”
- Workarounds (4 min): what have they tried, and what does it cost?
- Close (2 min): “Who else should I talk to?” and “Can I show you something when it’s ready?”
Listen 80% of the time. Write down their exact words, because those words become your marketing copy later.
Finding people to talk to
- B2B: LinkedIn, industry WhatsApp groups, trade associations, walking into shops and offices.
- Consumers: community groups, college campuses, apartment societies, Reddit communities, Instagram comments on competitors’ posts.
- Bharat: visit in person. Video calls often miss the context.
Meesho’s founders spent time with small sellers and noticed they were already selling on WhatsApp. That observation became the company.
Signals that you’ve found something
- People describe the problem before you mention it.
- They have already spent money or time on workarounds.
- They ask, “When can I get it?”
- They introduce you to others with the same problem.
Your takeaway
Ten honest conversations beat a hundred survey responses. If after 15 interviews nobody seems to care, that’s a gift: you just saved a year.