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Global version of this answer Canadian founders

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

Updated · by Vouch · CAD pilot pricing

Short answer for Canadian 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.

Canadian founders usually validate against a domestic segment and sell into the US next, so test whether the problem you found is Canada-specific before you build for both markets at once.

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 Canadian founders find their first 10 interviews

  • Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal tech community Slack groups.
  • MaRS, Communitech and DMZ member networks for introductions.
  • LinkedIn outreach, plus alumni networks from Waterloo and UofT engineering.
Local funding context: IRAP and SR&ED reviewers, plus MaRS and DMZ advisors, look for documented customer evidence — a validation report shortens those conversations.

Typical paid-pilot deposit in this market: C$650.

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.

Should I validate in Canada or the US first?

Validate where you can book 10 interviews in two weeks — usually your home market. Then re-test the two or three riskiest assumptions with US buyers before assuming the wedge transfers.

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