Customer Interviews Done Right: Questions That Actually Reveal Truth

Most founders ask the wrong questions in customer interviews. Here's how to get insights that actually matter.

The Mom Test Problem

Rob Fitzpatrick's "The Mom Test" identified a critical issue: people lie to founders. Not maliciously—they're just being polite.

Ask your mom "Would you use my app?" and she'll say yes. She loves you. She'd say yes to anything.

Questions That Get Truth

Instead of: "Would you use this?"

Ask: "Tell me about the last time you dealt with [problem]. Walk me through exactly what happened."

Instead of: "How much would you pay?"

Ask: "What are you currently paying to solve this? What have you tried?"

Instead of: "Do you like this feature?"

Ask: "Show me how you handle this today. What's frustrating about it?"

The Five Whys Technique

When someone gives a surface answer, dig deeper:

• "Why is that important to you?"
• "Why did you choose that solution?"
• "Why hasn't the current solution worked?"
• "Why would you switch from what you're using now?"
• "Why is now the right time to solve this?"

Red Flags in Interviews

• **Generic compliments:** "That sounds cool!" means nothing
• **Future promises:** "I would definitely use that" is worthless
• **No specifics:** If they can't describe the problem in detail, it's not painful enough
• **Talking more than listening:** If you're pitching, you're not learning

Green Flags

• **Emotional language:** "I hate when..." or "It drives me crazy that..."
• **Specific stories:** Detailed accounts of real situations
• **Money already spent:** They're paying for inferior solutions
• **Time already invested:** They've built workarounds

Practice with AI First

Before burning real prospects, practice your interview technique with Devil's Advocate's Customer Interview Simulator. It simulates 5 different customer personas with realistic responses and objections.