When you have nothing: How to find potential customers to interview

Founder takeaway

Start customer discovery before building a product or brand. The absence of a website, name, or prototype should not delay finding and interviewing people who may have the problem you want to solve.

Why it matters

Early conversations can test whether the problem and target customer are worth pursuing before you commit scarce time and money to building.

Relevant guides

Put it to work

Define the specific problem and type of person you want to learn from, then ask: “Who are 10 people I could approach this week for a problem-focused conversation, without needing to show them a product?”