discovery-prep
Discovery Prep — Learn, Don't Sell
"I have a call with someone who might be a customer. What do I ask?"
The problem
You have a conversation lined up with someone who might be your customer. This is gold — one of the few chances to learn from a real human.
But most founders either: (a) pitch their product for 30 minutes and learn nothing, or (b) ask generic questions and get generic answers. Either way, they walk away with nothing actionable.
The problem isn't that you're bad at conversations. The problem is you haven't decided what you need to learn from THIS specific person before the conversation starts. Without a learning goal, every conversation becomes a pitch or a chat.
The leading word: interview
This is a discovery interview, not a sales call. Your job is to understand their world, not to convince them of yours. Good interviews produce insights. Bad interviews produce awkward silences.
A journalist doesn't go into an interview wondering what to ask. They have a thesis, a set of questions, and a goal. So should you.