Customer interviews should teach you something.

A conversation with a potential customer is most useful when it uncovers behaviour you did not already understand. If every question invites agreement with your idea, you may leave encouraged without learning much about the market.

Ask about a recent situation in which the problem occurred. What triggered it? How did they respond? Who else was involved? Specific events are easier to examine than predictions about what someone might do in the future.

Explore the alternative they currently use, including doing nothing. Find out what makes that alternative acceptable and where it causes frustration. Avoid immediately explaining how your product would solve each complaint; stay with the customer’s account long enough to understand its context.

After the interview, separate observations from interpretations. Compare notes across several conversations and identify assumptions that still need testing. The goal is not to collect endorsements. It is to make the next commercial experiment more informed.