How many customer interviews should I conduct?

For consumer startups, aim for 70-100 interviews because consumer behavior is noisy and diverse. For B2B startups, 20-30 interviews is the minimum to see patterns. Plan for volume because people will cancel or decline.

Who should I interview for B2B customer discovery?

Start with people in the middle of the organization. Mid-level managers and individual contributors feel the pain daily and respond more often than executives. Use LinkedIn to target specific roles and titles.

Who to Talk To

Talking to the right people matters. Who you interview depends on whether you're building for consumers or businesses.

Consumer Startups

Talk to a lot of people. Consumer behavior is messy and varied — you need volume to see patterns.

If you haven't talked to 70-100 users, you probably don't know enough yet.

Consumer preferences vary a lot. The only way to find patterns is through volume. Don't draw conclusions from 10 interviews.

B2B Startups

Start with people in the middle. Mid-level managers and individual contributors feel the pain every day and are more likely to respond than execs.

→Use LinkedIn to find specific roles and titles
→Execs are harder to reach and often too far from the daily pain
→The people doing the work can tell you exactly what's broken

Talk to Enough People

Plan for volume. In early discovery, 20–30 interviews is the minimum. Expect cancellations and "no"s.

70-100

interviews for consumer startups

20-30

minimum for B2B startups

Find People Who Want a Solution Now

Some people will say "sounds interesting, but I'm too busy." That's fine — they're a lead for later. But for discovery, you want people who feel the pain so badly they'll make time right away.

Every market has early adopters who are actively looking for a better way. Find them first. They'll give you the most honest feedback — and often become your first customers.

Watch Out for Aspirational Demand

Some people will be excited about your product but will never actually use or buy it. This is especially common in B2B: the person you're talking to might be personally curious, but they won't roll it out to their organization.

•"Sounds cool" is not the same as "I need this now."
•Individual enthusiasm doesn't equal organizational buy-in.
•Ask about their authority to buy or implement — not just their interest.

If they can't make the decision or don't control the budget, their excitement doesn't count.

Reality Check

If you can't get even 4-5 people to agree to a conversation, pay attention. This is an early sign that the problem you're solving might not matter enough.

If no one wants to talk about the problem, few will pay to solve it.

Keep Talking

Your questions will change as your product evolves, but talking to customers never stops. It's not a phase — it's how you stay connected to what matters.

Key Takeaway

Volume matters. Consumer startups need 70-100 interviews. B2B startups need at least 20-30. Start with people who feel the pain every day, not execs who are too far from it.