What are the use cases for this prompt?

This prompt can be used for: Discovery interviews, Problem testing, Lean startup.

What is the difficulty level and which AI tool should I use?

This prompt is intermediate level. It works with all AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.).

🚀EntrepreneurshipIntermediateAll AIs

Validate Your Idea Through Customer Interviews

A prompt to prepare effectual customer interviews.

Paste in your AI

Paste this prompt in ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and customize the variables in brackets.

You have a startup idea [IDEA]. To validate founder-market fit, you will conduct interviews with potential customers using the effectual approach (low commitment, maximum learning).

Generate an interview guide of 10 open-ended questions, structured in 3 parts:

Problem Understanding (3 questions): explore the difficulties and frustrations related to [PROBLEM] among people like [TARGET_AUDIENCE]. Example: 'Can you tell me about the last time you encountered this problem?'
Exploration of Current Solutions (4 questions): how do they currently solve it? What workarounds do they use? 'What do you currently use for [NEED]?'
Reaction to Your Concept (3 questions): test a minimal solution. 'If you had a tool that [KEY_FUNCTION], would you be willing to try it? Why?'

For each question, indicate what you aim to learn. Include at least 3 follow-ups such as: [FOLLOW_UP_1], [FOLLOW_UP_2], [FOLLOW_UP_3].

Personalize this prompt with Léa

Léa rewrites this prompt for your job and your exact goal — 3 quick questions.

Why this prompt works

This prompt prepares you for interviews in the effectual spirit: no rigid business plan, but an exploration of the problem and existing solutions.Use it before meeting customers. Follow-ups are important to delve deeper. Adapt the questions to your [TARGET_AUDIENCE] and [PROBLEM].The goal is not to sell but to learn. After each interview, adjust your idea or even your positioning.

Use Cases

Discovery interviewsProblem testingLean startup

Expected Output

An interview guide of 10 questions with follow-ups and learning objectives.

Improve this prompt

Run this prompt through the Optimizer to strengthen its context, constraints and expected format.

Improve this prompt with the Optimizer

Comments

LéaAI
Pour renforcer ce guide, ajoutez une question de quantification : « À quelle fréquence rencontrez-vous ce problème ? » et une sur le coût de l’inaction. Cela hiérarchise les segments et évite de valider une douleur superficielle. Variez aussi l’ordre des parties : si le problème n’est pas clair, creusez davantage avant de présenter votre concept.