# Customer Discovery Guide
## Interview Scripts and Analysis Frameworks for Customer Research

---

## Overview

This guide provides a systematic approach to customer discovery through interviews, surveys, and observational research to validate problems, solutions, and product-market fit.

**Purpose:** Deeply understand customer needs before building solutions  
**Timeline:** 2-4 weeks for initial discovery  
**Target:** 20-50 customer interviews for validation

---

## Part 1: Pre-Interview Preparation

### 1.1 Research Objectives

**Primary Questions to Answer:**
- [ ] What problem are we solving?
- [ ] Who has this problem most acutely?
- [ ] How are they solving it today?
- [ ] What would an ideal solution look like?
- [ ] How much would they pay for a solution?
- [ ] What would trigger them to switch solutions?

### 1.2 Customer Segmentation Hypotheses

| Segment | Description | Pain Hypothesis | Estimated Size | Priority |
|---------|-------------|-----------------|----------------|----------|
| Segment A | | | | High/Med/Low |
| Segment B | | | | High/Med/Low |
| Segment C | | | | High/Med/Low |

### 1.3 Interview Recruitment

**Recruitment Channels:**
- [ ] Personal network
- [ ] LinkedIn outreach
- [ ] Industry communities
- [ ] Customer advisory board
- [ ] Conference attendees
- [ ] User research platforms

**Recruitment Message Template:**
```
Subject: 30 min to share your expertise on [topic]

Hi [Name],

I'm conducting research on how [role] handle [problem area]. Given your experience with [relevant context], your insights would be invaluable.

This is purely research - nothing will be sold. As a thank you, I'm happy to share our findings and/or offer [incentive].

Would you have 30 minutes for a video call next week?

[Your name]
```

---

## Part 2: Interview Scripts

### 2.1 Problem Discovery Interview (30-45 min)

**Opening (2 min):**
- Thank them for their time
- Explain research purpose
- Ask permission to record
- Emphasize there are no right/wrong answers

**Background & Context (5 min):**
1. Tell me about your role and responsibilities
2. What does a typical day look like for you?
3. What are your main priorities this quarter/year?
4. What tools and processes do you use for [relevant area]?

**Problem Exploration (15 min):**
1. Walk me through how you currently handle [process]
2. What's the most frustrating part of this process?
3. How much time do you spend on this?
4. What happens if this doesn't get done or done well?
5. How is this problem impacting your team/organization?
6. On a scale of 1-10, how painful is this problem?

**Current Solutions (10 min):**
1. How are you solving this problem today?
2. What tools have you tried? What worked/didn't work?
3. What's your budget for solving this problem?
4. Who's involved in decisions about [problem area]?
5. What would need to happen for you to change solutions?

**Ideal Solution (8 min):**
1. If you had a magic wand, how would you solve this?
2. What would success look like?
3. What features would be must-haves vs. nice-to-haves?
4. How would you measure if a solution was working?
5. What would you be willing to pay for that solution?

**Wrap-up (5 min):**
1. What haven't I asked that I should have?
2. Who else should I talk to about this?
3. Would you be interested in testing a solution?
4. Can I follow up with additional questions?

### 2.2 Solution Validation Interview (30-45 min)

**Opening & Context (5 min):**
- Recap problem understanding
- Show appreciation for previous input
- Set expectations for feedback session

**Solution Presentation (10 min):**
- High-level concept overview
- Key features and benefits
- Mockups or prototype demo
- Pricing model overview

**Feedback Collection (20 min):**
1. What's your initial reaction?
2. How would this fit into your current workflow?
3. What do you like most about this approach?
4. What concerns do you have?
5. What's missing that you would need?
6. How does this compare to your current solution?
7. Would you buy this? Why/why not?
8. What would you pay for this?
9. Who would need to approve this purchase?
10. When would you need this solution?

**Commitment Test (10 min):**
1. Would you be willing to be a beta user?
2. Would you pre-order at a discount?
3. Would you sign a letter of intent?
4. Would you introduce us to others with this problem?
5. What would it take to get a 'yes' from you?

### 2.3 Jobs-to-be-Done Interview (45-60 min)

**Timeline Reconstruction:**
1. When did you first realize you needed a solution?
2. What triggered you to start looking?
3. What was going on in your business at that time?

**Consideration Process:**
1. What alternatives did you consider?
2. How did you evaluate options?
3. Who was involved in the decision?
4. What criteria were most important?

**Decision Factors:**
1. Why did you choose your current solution?
2. What almost prevented you from purchasing?
3. What overcame those concerns?
4. How did you justify the investment?

**Usage & Value:**
1. How are you using the solution today?
2. What value has it delivered?
3. What's better than expected?
4. What's worse than expected?
5. What would you do if it went away tomorrow?

---

## Part 3: Survey Design

### 3.1 Problem Validation Survey

**Screening Questions:**
1. What is your role?
   - [ ] Role A
   - [ ] Role B
   - [ ] Other: _____

2. How often do you [relevant activity]?
   - [ ] Daily
   - [ ] Weekly
   - [ ] Monthly
   - [ ] Rarely

**Problem Questions:**
3. How challenging is [specific problem]? (1-10 scale)

4. How do you currently handle [problem]?
   - [ ] Manual process
   - [ ] Existing tool: _____
   - [ ] Don't handle it
   - [ ] Other: _____

5. How much time do you spend on this weekly?
   - [ ] <1 hour
   - [ ] 1-5 hours
   - [ ] 5-10 hours
   - [ ] >10 hours

6. What's the impact of not solving this well?
   - [ ] Minor inconvenience
   - [ ] Moderate impact
   - [ ] Significant problems
   - [ ] Critical issues

**Solution Interest:**
7. How interested would you be in a solution that [value prop]?
   - [ ] Very interested
   - [ ] Somewhat interested
   - [ ] Neutral
   - [ ] Not interested

8. What would you pay monthly for this solution?
   - [ ] $0-50
   - [ ] $51-200
   - [ ] $201-500
   - [ ] $500+

### 3.2 Feature Prioritization Survey

**Importance Rating:**
Rate each feature from 1 (not important) to 5 (critical):

| Feature | Description | Importance (1-5) |
|---------|-------------|------------------|
| Feature A | | ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 |
| Feature B | | ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 |
| Feature C | | ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 |

**Trade-off Questions:**
If you had to choose, which would you prefer?
- [ ] Faster performance OR more features
- [ ] Lower price OR better support
- [ ] Easy setup OR customization options

---

## Part 4: Persona Development

### 4.1 Persona Template

**Name:** [Persona Name - e.g., "Enterprise Emma"]

**Demographics:**
- Role/Title: _____________________
- Company Size: _____________________
- Industry: _____________________
- Location: _____________________
- Age Range: _____________________
- Education: _____________________

**Goals & Motivations:**
- Primary goal: _____________________
- Success metrics: _____________________
- Career aspirations: _____________________
- Personal wins: _____________________

**Challenges & Pain Points:**
- Biggest challenge: _____________________
- Daily frustrations: _____________________
- Time wasters: _____________________
- Resource constraints: _____________________

**Current Solutions & Workflows:**
- Tools used: _____________________
- Workarounds: _____________________
- Time spent: _____________________
- Budget available: _____________________

**Buying Behavior:**
- Research channels: _____________________
- Influences: _____________________
- Decision criteria: _____________________
- Objections: _____________________

**Quote:**
"[Actual quote from interviews that captures their perspective]"

### 4.2 Persona Comparison Matrix

| Attribute | Persona A | Persona B | Persona C |
|-----------|-----------|-----------|----------|
| Primary Problem | | | |
| Urgency Level | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |
| Budget Authority | Yes/No | Yes/No | Yes/No |
| Solution Sophistication | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |
| Sales Approach | Self-serve/Sales-assisted | | |
| Price Sensitivity | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |
| Feature Priorities | | | |

---

## Part 5: Jobs-to-be-Done Framework

### 5.1 Job Story Template

**Format:** When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome].

**Examples:**
- When I'm preparing for quarterly planning, I want to quickly analyze performance data, so I can make informed resource allocation decisions.
- When a customer reports an issue, I want to immediately understand the impact, so I can prioritize the response appropriately.

### 5.2 Job Map

| Job Step | Current Solution | Pain Points | Opportunity |
|----------|-----------------|-------------|-------------|
| 1. Define objectives | | | |
| 2. Locate resources | | | |
| 3. Prepare | | | |
| 4. Execute | | | |
| 5. Monitor | | | |
| 6. Modify | | | |
| 7. Conclude | | | |

### 5.3 Outcome Statements

**Format:** [Direction] + [Metric] + [Object] + [Context]

**Examples:**
- Minimize the time it takes to generate monthly reports
- Increase the accuracy of demand forecasting
- Reduce the number of tools needed to complete workflow

---

## Part 6: Pain Point Mapping

### 6.1 Pain Point Intensity Matrix

| Pain Point | Frequency | Intensity | Urgency | Total Score |
|------------|-----------|-----------|---------|-------------|
| | Daily/Weekly/Monthly | 1-10 | 1-10 | |
| | Daily/Weekly/Monthly | 1-10 | 1-10 | |
| | Daily/Weekly/Monthly | 1-10 | 1-10 | |

### 6.2 Pain Point Categories

**Functional Pains:**
- Takes too long
- Too complex
- Unreliable results
- Limited functionality

**Emotional Pains:**
- Frustrating to use
- Makes me look bad
- Stressful process
- Feel out of control

**Social Pains:**
- Team resistance
- Poor collaboration
- Communication gaps
- Stakeholder complaints

**Financial Pains:**
- Too expensive
- Hidden costs
- Poor ROI
- Budget overruns

---

## Part 7: Analysis Frameworks

### 7.1 Affinity Mapping Process

1. **Capture:** Write each insight on a sticky note
2. **Cluster:** Group related insights together
3. **Label:** Name each cluster
4. **Prioritize:** Rank clusters by importance
5. **Connect:** Draw relationships between clusters
6. **Synthesize:** Extract key themes

### 7.2 Customer Journey Map

| Stage | Awareness | Consideration | Decision | Onboarding | Usage | Expansion |
|-------|-----------|---------------|----------|------------|-------|----------|
| **Actions** | | | | | | |
| **Thoughts** | | | | | | |
| **Emotions** | | | | | | |
| **Pain Points** | | | | | | |
| **Opportunities** | | | | | | |

### 7.3 Value Proposition Canvas

**Customer Profile:**
- Customer Jobs: _____
- Pains: _____
- Gains: _____

**Value Map:**
- Products & Services: _____
- Pain Relievers: _____
- Gain Creators: _____

---

## Part 8: Synthesis & Insights

### 8.1 Key Findings Template

**Finding #1:**
- Observation: What we heard/saw
- Insight: What it means
- Opportunity: How we might address it
- Evidence: Supporting quotes/data

### 8.2 Validation Scorecard

| Hypothesis | Evidence For | Evidence Against | Confidence | Decision |
|------------|--------------|------------------|------------|----------|
| Problem exists | | | High/Med/Low | Validated/Invalidated/Needs more research |
| Target segment | | | High/Med/Low | |
| Solution fit | | | High/Med/Low | |
| Willingness to pay | | | High/Med/Low | |

### 8.3 Pivot or Persevere Decision

**Criteria for Success:**
- [ ] 40%+ of interviewees rate problem as 7+ severity
- [ ] Clear pattern in current solution dissatisfaction
- [ ] Willingness to pay meets business model needs
- [ ] Accessible market of sufficient size
- [ ] Differentiated solution possibility

**Decision:** ☐ Persevere ☐ Pivot ☐ Need more data

---

## Part 9: Action Planning

### 9.1 Immediate Next Steps

| Action | Owner | Deadline | Success Criteria |
|--------|-------|----------|------------------|
| Refine ICP based on findings | | | |
| Update value proposition | | | |
| Build MVP feature list | | | |
| Create prototype | | | |
| Conduct solution validation | | | |

### 9.2 Ongoing Research Plan

**Monthly:**
- [ ] 5-10 customer interviews
- [ ] Competitive analysis update
- [ ] Usage analytics review

**Quarterly:**
- [ ] Comprehensive survey
- [ ] Persona refinement
- [ ] Journey map update

**Annually:**
- [ ] Market segmentation review
- [ ] Jobs-to-be-done refresh
- [ ] Strategic planning input

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## Templates & Resources

### Interview Tools
- Calendly for scheduling
- Zoom/Google Meet for calls
- Otter.ai for transcription
- Miro/Mural for synthesis

### Analysis Tools
- Dovetail for qualitative analysis
- Airtable for insight management
- Productboard for feature prioritization
- Maze for prototype testing

### Reading List
- "The Mom Test" by Rob Fitzpatrick
- "Competing Against Luck" by Clayton Christensen
- "Lean Customer Development" by Cindy Alvarez
- "Jobs to be Done" by Anthony Ulwick

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*© 2024 Commercify. Remember: The goal is to learn, not to sell. Stay curious and let customers guide you to the right solution.*