Customer Interview Planner
Create a practical validation plan: who to interview, what to ask, and what “proof” looks like.
Inputs
This is used for the Explore handoff and outreach script context.
You’ll get questions and success criteria tailored to this.
Recommended: 8–12 for a first pass.
Include practitioner, manager, and budget owner where applicable.
7-day plan
- Day 1: Define ICP + roles (target 10 interviews). Draft outreach message.
- Day 2: Pull evidence (10–20 threads/quotes) and list recurring themes.
- Day 3: Outreach sprint (send 25–50 messages/emails).
- Day 4: Run 2–3 interviews. Update notes; refine questions.
- Day 5: Run 2–3 interviews. Identify strongest pain cluster and objections.
- Day 6: Run remaining interviews. Test pricing/ROI questions.
- Day 7: Synthesize results: must-have outcome, triggers, budget, and switching moment.
Question set (copy/paste)
Roles to target
- Operator / practitioner
- Manager
- Budget owner
Questions
- What are you trying to accomplish in this part of your workflow?
- What makes this hard today?
- What have you tried already?
- How do you solve this today? Show me the exact workflow if possible.
- What tools/spreadsheets/hacks are you using?
- What do you dislike about your current approach?
- How much time does it take each time you do it?
- If you had a perfect solution, what would it do first?
- Would you be open to a follow-up to review a prototype?
Success criteria for this focus
- They show an existing process (tools/spreadsheets) and it’s clearly painful.
- They’ve cobbled together multiple tools or manual steps.
Outreach script (copy/paste)
Hi - I’m doing quick research around a workflow problem. I’m not selling anything; I’m trying to understand the workflow and pain points. Could I ask you a few questions on a 15-minute call this week?
Disclaimer: Interviews reduce risk, but do not replace evidence from real behavior and repeated complaints.