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Global version of this answer Australian founders

What questions should I ask in a customer discovery interview? in Australia

Updated · by Vouch · AUD pilot pricing

Short answer for Australian founders

Ask only about past behavior, never about your idea. Best 5 questions: (1) walk me through the last time this problem hit you, (2) what did you try, (3) what did you spend on it, (4) who else was in the decision, (5) if this stayed broken for another 6 months, what would that cost you? Never ask 'would you use…' — the answer is meaningless.

The Australian domestic market is small enough that segment choice decides the outcome — a broad segment gives you 10 interviews with 10 different problems and no pattern.

Step-by-step

  1. 1
    Open with the last time it happened

    'Tell me about the last time <problem>.' You're mining for a concrete story, not an abstraction.

  2. 2
    Follow with what they actually did

    'What did you try? What did that cost you in time or money?' — behavior beats intent every time.

  3. 3
    Map the buying committee

    'Who else was in that decision?' A yes from the wrong person is a no in disguise.

  4. 4
    Size the pain in dollars or hours

    'If this stayed broken for 6 more months, what would it cost you?' — if they can't answer, this isn't a top-3 problem for them.

  5. 5
    Close with an ask, not a pitch

    'Would you be willing to try a paid solution next week if I built it for you?' — willingness to buy is the only interesting answer.

Where Australian founders find their first 10 interviews

  • Sydney and Melbourne founder communities, plus sector associations.
  • LinkedIn outreach — high response rates, low competition compared to the US.
  • Startmate, Antler and Blackbird portfolio networks for warm intros.
Local funding context: Startmate and Antler both run evidence-first selection processes, and the R&D Tax Incentive rewards documented experiments — both fit a written assumption-and-evidence trail.

Typical paid-pilot deposit in this market: A$700.

Frequently asked

Should I demo my prototype during the interview?

No. A demo anchors the conversation on you instead of them. If you must show something, do it in a separate follow-up call after the discovery interview.

How long should a discovery interview be?

20–30 minutes. Longer feels indulgent for the interviewee and produces marginal new information after the first 30 minutes.

Should I record customer discovery interviews?

Yes, with consent. Recording lets you focus on the human in front of you and extract quotes verbatim later. Vouch transcribes and scores assumptions automatically.

Is the Australian market big enough to validate in?

For validation, yes — you only need 10 interviews and 3 paying pilots. For scale, plan the US or SEA expansion test as a separate validation sprint rather than assuming it carries over.

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