Building more features feels productive. Talking to customers first feels slow. In practice, early conversations save months of building the wrong thing.
Ask buyers what they already pay for today, what fails in their current workflow, and what would make them switch. Listen for jobs they must get done, not feature requests they invent on the spot.
Aim for patterns, not anecdotes. After several conversations in the same segment, themes emerge: budget range, decision maker, must-have outcomes, and deal-breakers. Those themes should shape your roadmap more than internal brainstorms.
Customer discovery never fully stops. Revisit interviews when you enter a new segment, raise prices, or see churn. The goal is not endless research — it is enough clarity to build and sell with confidence.
