## Question for [[Customer Development]] Interview What questions to ask on CusDev so that users answer with maximum honesty and without bias? Here is a list of 10 common questions whose answers will give you useful food for product thinking. ### 1. How do you solve this problem now without our product? A classic question whose answer informs the current (and already successful) customer journey map. The roots of most products grow precisely from more optimization of that map and removing [[Customer Pain Points]] from it, rather than coming up with "new processes." ### 2. How do you understand/know if your problem has been solved successfully? The central question for all startups is "what counts as success?" It applies to users as well. This question is especially valuable for B2B products, allowing you to uncover hidden information, when some true goals, processes or actions may be hidden behind user actions (decisions are made by the CEO, [[Product KPIs]] are set by the department head, etc.). ### 3. What disappoints you the most about this decision? It is a multi-purpose question that you can use to start identifying those same industry/process pain points, and then use it to identify gaps in your own product functionality as well. ### 4. How would you like to simplify/improve this? Such questions are appropriate for general processes as well as for quite specific functions. The main purpose of this question is to get confirmation of the "pain point," not to find a ready-made solution. Be careful - the question is deceptive, and even a maximally specific answer does not at all mean that this particular solution will be successful. ### 5. How would your day/work/task be different if you had an improved solution? The goal is to understand exactly what value your future/current product/solution/function adds to the user's life. Once again, correlate this with other answers for overlap. ### 6. If this were available today, would you buy/use it? A *"yes/no*" answer to this question alone will not provide any useful answer. Just ask and then be silent, motivating the user to say more. Listening to the answer will give you insight into the user's decision-making process and how much value they see for themselves in such a product/function. ### 7. How do you feel about our solution? A good follow-up question might be: *"What do you see as the greatest benefit of our solution?"* Once again, these questions help you understand the user's motivations, including further using them in your marketing strategy. ## CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ### Why? It is by far the most important question you can ask, so ask it more often. Asking "why" as a follow-up question can often provide a more informative answer and get to the heart of the real problem. ### Can you give me an example? This is another great general-purpose question that can give you a goldmine of supporting evidence for (or against) your new product or feature. If you ask for specific examples, the interviewee will know that you're willing to go into more detail, which will give them and you a lot more information to process. ### How would you do it differently? Another question whose answer might tell you about a bad user experience that probably shouldn't be repeated. These cusdev questions are suitable for both new product development and for testing existing features. You can supplement/modify this list and any question in particular by asking clarifying questions - every answer in an interview has weight and value. Especially if you listen carefully and can see and recognize information "between the lines."