Ask potential app users about a recent experience, how they handled it, what it cost them and what they tried to improve. Once you understand the problem, show a small proposed solution and ask for a concrete next step. Keep opinions about your idea separate from evidence of actual behaviour.
“Would you use my app?” is an easy question to ask.
It is also very easy to answer yes without doing anything afterward.
I want to know what happens when the problem appears in someone’s actual life. That is where I can understand whether an app would help.
Who should you interview about an app idea?
Speak with people who have recently experienced the situation you want to improve. Recruit for the situation, not just a broad demographic.
If your app helps independent tutors handle missed lessons, find tutors who have dealt with cancellations. Someone who teaches a different kind of class with a central administrator may not have the same problem.
Start with a manageable round, such as five people. The number is a planning suggestion, not a threshold that validates a market. Continue when important questions remain unresolved.
Your own experience gives you a starting point. It doesn’t mean every person will want your workflow. That distinction is central to being your own first app user.
How should you start an app validation interview?
Say what you’re trying to understand, give a realistic time estimate and make it easy for the person to disagree.
For example:
I’m exploring how independent tutors deal with missed lessons and follow-ups. I’d like to understand your current process. This isn’t a sales call, and you don’t need to like any idea I show you. Could we spend about 20 minutes on a recent example?
Take notes. If you want to record, ask first. Don’t collect private student or client details when an anonymised example will explain the workflow.
Rob Fitzpatrick’s The Mom Test is a useful resource on avoiding biased customer feedback. The questions below are a practical script for this app-building context, not a verbatim extract from the book.
What questions should you ask before showing the app idea?
1. When did you most recently deal with this situation?
Use the answer to establish whether the problem is current and relevant. If they can’t recall an example, explore whether it happens rarely or whether you recruited the wrong person. Don’t supply a dramatic story for them to agree with.
2. Can you walk me through what happened, from the beginning?
Listen for the trigger and the order of actions. You want the real sequence, including the awkward parts they have become used to. Ask short follow-ups rather than interrupting to explain your solution.
3. Which part required the most effort?
Let them choose the difficult part. You might think scheduling is the problem when they care more about remembering what was agreed. That difference can change the entire first version.
4. What did you use to handle it?
Include notes, messages, spreadsheets, other people and doing nothing. Ask them to show a non-sensitive example if appropriate. The real competitor may be a familiar manual process rather than another app.
5. What happened because it wasn’t easier?
Look for a concrete consequence: extra work, a missed action, confusion or an experience they didn’t enjoy. If they describe the task as annoying but can’t identify any consequence, the improvement may be less urgent than you assumed.
6. How often has this happened recently?
Choose a period that fits the task. A weekly reporting problem and an annual event need different questions. Record the context so you don’t turn a one-off incident into a claim about daily pain.
7. What have you tried to change about the process?
This reveals effort already spent finding a better way. Ask what they kept, abandoned or never got around to trying. “I searched once” and “I rebuilt my spreadsheet three times” suggest different levels of motivation.
8. What do you like about your current way of doing it?
You need to understand what your app must preserve. People don’t switch away from something familiar just because you found a flaw. Their existing approach may be fast, flexible or easy to share.
9. Have you paid for help with this, and how was that decision made?
Ask about actual purchases where relevant. Learn who uses the product, who chooses it and who controls the budget. If they haven’t paid, ask what has made the free or manual option sufficient so far.
What should you ask after showing the proposed solution?
Keep this part separate from the problem conversation. Present one short description or demonstration, then let the person respond.
10. What do you think this would help you do?
This checks comprehension. If they describe a different promise, your explanation may be unclear. Don’t immediately correct them and count the corrected answer as success. Record what they understood first.
11. What would make it difficult to try this in your current process?
Look for the practical obstacle. It might be entering information twice, getting approval or losing a format they need. Ask for details about the obstacle before deciding it requires another feature.
12. Is there an upcoming situation where you’d be willing to try this?
If yes, agree on a specific next step with a date and a clear description of what you will provide. If no, ask what makes the trial a poor fit. Accept the answer. Polite agreement becomes more useful when you see whether someone actually follows through.
How do you turn interviews into a decision?
Write a short note after each conversation. Separate observations from your interpretation:
| Record | Hypothetical example |
|---|---|
| Situation | Tutor had two lesson changes last week |
| Current behaviour | Uses calendar entries and a message thread |
| Stated consequence | Spends time checking which agreement is current |
| Existing benefit | All parents already use that messaging channel |
| Interpretation | A separate communication app may create resistance |
| Next test | Try generating a reminder they can copy into the existing channel |
Compare patterns within the same audience. Keep contradictions visible. Don’t average together solo tutors, school administrators and parents as if they are buying the same thing.
Then choose one experiment using the app idea validation guide. If the interviews point to a clear first task, use the version-one feature guide to keep the build focused.
Frequently asked questions about app validation interviews
Can I interview friends and family?
Yes, when they genuinely fit the situation you are investigating. Their desire to support you may influence feedback, so focus on specific past events and observe later behaviour. Include relevant people outside your immediate circle before making broader assumptions.
Should I show my idea at the start?
Usually learn about the current situation first. Showing the solution can steer the conversation toward your assumptions. Once you have the problem story, a short demonstration can help you investigate comprehension, friction and willingness to try it.
Are surveys better than interviews?
Interviews let you follow unexpected details. Surveys can help ask consistent questions across more people once you know what to ask. Neither method turns hypothetical purchase intentions into actual purchases. Choose the method according to the uncertainty you need to reduce.
Should I pay people for interviews?
Compensation can respect participants’ time and help recruitment. Record it as part of the research context. Being paid to attend an interview isn’t evidence that someone wants to use or buy the app. Test those behaviours separately.
What if every person asks for different features?
Look for the task behind each request. If the tasks differ substantially, you may be mixing audiences or situations. Narrow the group before building a combined feature list. My guide to coming up with an app idea explains why that focus matters.
Can I use AI to summarise the interviews?
Yes, with appropriate handling of participant information. Remove unnecessary personal details and keep the original notes available. Ask AI to distinguish direct observations from interpretations and unanswered questions. Check its summary against the notes before using it to decide what to build.
How do I know when I have enough interviews?
You have enough for the next small experiment when you understand a specific situation well enough to state a testable assumption. That isn’t the same as proving market size. If the next investment is large or the stories conflict, do more focused research first.
Choose one person who has dealt with your problem recently. Ask them what happened. Let their answer change your idea.
Sources and further reading
- Rob Fitzpatrick: The Mom Test, on customer conversations and biased feedback.
- Eric Ries: The Lean Startup methodology, on turning uncertainty into experiments.