Startup Market Intelligence Pre-Interview

Say your name and that you’re researching ideas around their industry. You want to understand how they work and their challenges. So you'd like to ask a handful of questions for them to consider before you discuss.

Let them know you just want casual responses. They don't need to research or think deeply. You just want to understand their perspective. Let them know how to respond - phone call, video chat, in-person.

Describe the pain-point and ask how they currently address it. Ask for detail on how it works, the pros & cons. Don't tell them your solution. Just learn from their unbiased thoughts.

Ask how important issue is to them? Is it a minor annoyance? Is it just fine? Is it a priority that they need to improve on?

Ask if they've tried other solutions and how they've worked out.

Ask what they would do if they were starting a company to address the issue. What would the ideal solution look like?

Thank them for taking the time and share that you look forward to hearing their thoughts. Remind them that they can respond in whatever way is most convenient: email, phone, etc. Then sign off.