20 Customer Discovery Questions That Validate Demand

Great customer discovery reveals whether the problem is painful enough to pay for. Use these questions in interviews, then summarize findings in a validation brief.

Problem and context

1. Walk me through the last time this problem happened.
2. How often does this happen in a typical month?
3. What happens if it is not solved?
4. Who else is involved in solving it?

Current solutions

1. What do you use today to handle this?
2. What do you like about your current approach?
3. What is most frustrating or time-consuming?
4. What do you wish your current tools did better?

Buying signals

1. Have you paid for anything related to this before?
2. How much time or money does this problem cost you?
3. Who approves budget for a solution?
4. What would make you switch from your current tool?

Desired outcome

1. What does success look like for you?
2. What is the fastest way you would want this solved?
3. What would make this a must-have?
4. What would make this a no-go?

Validation wrap-up

1. If a tool solved this today, would you try it?
2. How soon would you need it?
3. What would you expect to pay per month?
4. Who else should I talk to about this?

Use these answers to validate your business idea without building. For a full validation flow, see market validation process and FounderSpace features.