Customer discovery without leading the witness

The strongest customer conversations begin with curiosity, not a pitch. Ask about the last time the problem appeared, what the team did next, and what it cost in time, money or momentum. Look for evidence of existing effort. Spreadsheets, manual workarounds and internal escalation are often stronger signals than enthusiasm for a proposed feature. End every conversation by writing down the assumptions that changed. Discovery is valuable when it makes the next product or go-to-market decision sharper.