₹1 Lakh Store — 90-Day D2C Playbook for Indian Founders

VALIDATE — Customer Discovery Interviews

Talk to 20 people before you build for 20,000

Ads tell you if people click. Interviews tell you why. These 5 scripts help you understand your customer's real problems, what they're currently paying for, and whether your solution fits — before you spend a single rupee on inventory.

5 Interview Scripts20 InterviewsReal Insights1-2 Hours Each

Interviews Target

Minimum for signal

15 min

Per Interview

Keep it short

Question Scripts

For different stages

₹0

Cost

Just your time

Problem

first, solution second

Most founders build a solution and then look for a problem. Talk to customers first.

Do NOT pitch your product in these interviews. You are here to listen, not to sell. If you catch yourself saying "we have a product that..." you're doing it wrong. Ask about their life, not your solution.

Script 1: Problem Discovery

Use this before you choose a product. Goal: understand what problems people actually have and what they're spending money on.

#	Question	What to Listen For
1	"Tell me about the last time you bought [category] online. Walk me through it."	What they searched for, how long it took, what frustrated them
2	"What was the hardest part about finding or choosing that product?"	Their top frustration. If they say "nothing," they may not be the right segment.
3	"How did you decide which one to buy?"	Decision criteria (price, reviews, brand, packaging, delivery speed)
4	"Have you ever been disappointed by a [category] product you bought online? What happened?"	Quality gaps, expectation mismatches, delivery issues
5	"If you could change one thing about buying [category] online, what would it be?"	Their #1 unmet need — this is your product opportunity

Script 2: Purchase Behavior

Use this after you have a product idea. Goal: understand how they buy, what they pay, and where they look.

#	Question	What to Listen For
1	"How often do you buy [category]? Monthly? Quarterly?"	Purchase frequency — monthly buyers = repeat potential
2	"What's your typical budget for [category]?"	Price sensitivity and acceptable range
3	"Where do you usually buy [category]? Amazon, Nykaa, Instagram, local store?"	Channel preferences and competitive landscape
4	"Do you prefer COD or prepaid? Why?"	Payment preference — critical for India D2C
5	"What would make you try a new [category] brand instead of your current one?"	Switching triggers — this is your marketing angle

Script 3: Problem Validation

Use this when running your landing page test. Goal: validate that the specific problem you're solving is real.

#	Question	What to Listen For
1	"How important is [specific problem] to you on a scale of 1-10?"	7+ = real problem. Below 5 = not painful enough to pay for.
2	"When was the last time you faced this problem?"	Recent (last week) = active problem. Last year = not urgent.
3	"What have you tried to solve this?"	If they've tried multiple solutions, the problem is real and painful.
4	"How much would you pay to solve this completely?"	Price ceiling and willingness to pay.

How to Recruit 20 Interviewees

Instagram DMs

Search for [category] interest in your target city. DM 50 people, expect 10% response rate. Offer a ₹100 Flipkart voucher for 15 minutes.

Fastest

Facebook Groups

Join [category] enthusiast groups. Post: "I'm researching [category]. Can I ask you 5 questions?" People love sharing opinions.

High Quality

Friends of Friends

Ask 5 friends to connect you with 4 people each who buy [category]. Not friends — friends of friends are honest.

Easy Start

Existing Customers

If you have any early buyers, interview ALL of them. They are your most valuable signal.

Most Valuable

Customer Interview Checklist

List 50 target customers from Instagram/Facebook

DM all 50 with interview request (use script above)

Conduct 20 interviews (15 min each)

Record answers to all 5 questions per script

Note: top 3 problems mentioned, price sensitivity, buying channel

Look for patterns: 5+ people mention the same problem = strong signal

If < 5 people mention your problem, pivot to the problem they DO mention

Summarize findings and share with your validation framework

Next Step

Interviews confirm demand. Now validate with real money.

Pre-Launch Landing Page →

Question

What to Listen For

"Tell me about the last time you bought [category] online. Walk me through it."

What they searched for, how long it took, what frustrated them

"What was the hardest part about finding or choosing that product?"

Their top frustration. If they say "nothing," they may not be the right segment.

"How did you decide which one to buy?"

Decision criteria (price, reviews, brand, packaging, delivery speed)

"Have you ever been disappointed by a [category] product you bought online? What happened?"

Quality gaps, expectation mismatches, delivery issues

"If you could change one thing about buying [category] online, what would it be?"

Their #1 unmet need — this is your product opportunity

Question

What to Listen For

"How often do you buy [category]? Monthly? Quarterly?"

Purchase frequency — monthly buyers = repeat potential

"What's your typical budget for [category]?"

Price sensitivity and acceptable range

"Where do you usually buy [category]? Amazon, Nykaa, Instagram, local store?"

Channel preferences and competitive landscape

"Do you prefer COD or prepaid? Why?"

Payment preference — critical for India D2C

"What would make you try a new [category] brand instead of your current one?"

Switching triggers — this is your marketing angle

Question

What to Listen For

"How important is [specific problem] to you on a scale of 1-10?"

7+ = real problem. Below 5 = not painful enough to pay for.

"When was the last time you faced this problem?"

Recent (last week) = active problem. Last year = not urgent.

"What have you tried to solve this?"

If they've tried multiple solutions, the problem is real and painful.

"How much would you pay to solve this completely?"

Price ceiling and willingness to pay.