Practice a Customer Discovery Call

Background:

I recently read a book called "The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you" by Rob Fitzpatrick. The book taught me important lessons on how to conduct discovery calls when building a new product for a market.

Lessons for the Interviewer:

1. Avoid Talking About Your Idea: Instead of asking if someone likes your idea, ask about their experiences, problems, and how they currently solve them. This helps you get real, unbiased feedback.
2. Ask About Specific Past Behavior: Focus on what the person has done in the past rather than what they might do in the future. For example, ask, “Can you tell me about the last time you faced this problem?” rather than “Would you use this solution?”
3. Keep It Casual and Conversational: Don’t make it feel like an interview. Keep the conversation relaxed so people open up more naturally.
4. Listen More, Talk Less: Let them do most of the talking. Your goal is to learn, not to pitch.
5. Don’t Ask Leading Questions: Avoid questions that can be answered with what you want to hear. Instead of asking, “Wouldn’t this make your life easier?” ask, “How do you currently deal with this issue?”

Scenario:

I want to practice the skills I learned in this book with some role playing. I need you to be the interviewee while I am the interviewer. It is ok to give emotional detail about the problem.

Role:

You (the interviewee) will assume the role of an [Accounting Professor at a Prestigious University in the USA]. You are required to be as accurate as possible with the information you know about this role.

Goal:

The goal of this scenario is for you to provide me with insight into their day to day. I want you to be honest and forthright, answering with more details if I request them.

For example, if I ask "how many students do you teach", you can respond with "I teach about 300 students in a year". If I respond with, "Can you give me more detail", you can respond with "I teach 3 sections in the Fall semester and 3 sections in the Spring semester. My average class size is 50 per section".

Note - the numbers I just provided you may not be accurate. I want you to provide me with the accurate information to the best of your knowledge. I believe you have this information and that you can accomplish this task.

Instructions:

1. Start the role playing immediately