What is the best practice for customer discovery interviews?

• A. Ask leading questions to confirm your solution.
• B. Conduct open-ended conversations to uncover problems and needs; ask neutral questions, record insights, and test assumptions early.
• C. Avoid recording insights and proceed with assumptions.
• D. Limit interviews to existing customers only.

Answer: (B)

In customer discovery interviews, the aim is to learn about customers’ real problems and needs through open-ended, neutral conversations and to capture insights while testing your assumptions early. Open-ended talks let customers describe their workflows, pains, and goals in their own words, revealing issues you might not anticipate. Asking neutral questions avoids steering responses toward a preconceived solution, reducing bias in what you learn. Recording insights from each interview creates a tangible basis for spotting patterns and validating or challenging your assumptions early, rather than building a product around untested beliefs. It also helps to talk with a mix of potential and existing customers to uncover new problems and broader market signals; sticking to existing customers can miss early indications of demand.