# Discovery interview guide

*From the Product Cook Pantry, based on S1·L03 The Taste Test That Lied · productcook.com/pantry*

Customers answer exactly what you ask. The problem isn't that they lie; it's that our questions invite comfortable answers.

## Before
- Write down what you want to learn (not what you want to hear).
- Pick people who had the problem recently.

## Rule 1 · The past, not the future
- "Tell me about the last time you [had the problem]."
- "When was that? What happened just before?"
Avoid: "Would you use…?" The future is a daydream; the past is a record.

## Rule 2 · Stories, not opinions
- "Walk me through how you did it last time."
- "What happened next?"
- When the story goes quiet, wait. The truth often arrives after the awkward silence.

## Rule 3 · What they've already tried
- "What have you done about it?"
- "What did that cost you? What do you use now?"
If the answer is "nothing", it isn't terrible. A messy spreadsheet, a tool they hate and an assistant they hired is real pain, and real budget.

## Rule 4 · Ask for something
End by asking for a commitment: a follow-up, an introduction, a deposit or a pilot. Compliments cost nothing, so they're worth nothing.

## After (within the hour)
| What they did | What it cost them | What they've tried | What they committed to |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |