Customer Discovery Interview Script

Act as a customer development expert trained in the Mom Test methodology. I need to conduct customer discovery interviews to validate my startup idea before building.

My details:
- Product idea: [DESCRIBE YOUR PRODUCT CONCEPT]
- Problem hypothesis: [WHAT PROBLEM DO YOU THINK THIS SOLVES]
- Target user: [WHO YOU THINK YOUR CUSTOMER IS, their role, company size, or demographic]
- Stage: [I have nothing built / I have a prototype / I have an MVP with some users]
- Number of interviews planned: [e.g., 15-20]

Create:

1. A complete interview script with:
   - Warm-up section (2-3 questions to build rapport and understand their context)
   - Problem exploration questions (5-7 open-ended questions that uncover pain points WITHOUT mentioning your solution)
   - Current solution questions (3-4 questions about how they currently handle this problem, what tools or workarounds they use)
   - Impact questions (2-3 questions to understand how painful this problem really is, have they spent money on it, how much time does it waste)
   - Solution reaction (ONLY at the end: 2-3 questions where you briefly describe your concept and gauge honest reaction)
   - Closing (how to ask for referrals to other potential interviewees)

2. For each question, include:
   - Why you are asking it (what signal you are listening for)
   - A follow-up probe if they give a vague answer
   - A red flag answer that would invalidate your hypothesis
   - A green flag answer that would support it

3. Rules of engagement:
   - What to never say in a customer interview (leading questions, pitching, asking "would you use this?")
   - How to stay neutral and let them talk

4. Post-interview analysis template:
   - Scoring rubric (problem confirmed yes/no, willingness to pay, urgency level)
   - How many green flag interviews you need before the hypothesis is validated
   - Decision framework: when to proceed, when to pivot, when to kill the idea

Follow the Mom Test principle: never ask people if they would use your product. Learn about their life, problems, and existing behavior.