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LESSON 02 OF 06

Ask about the last time

20 min guided session · 0 / 2 checks passed

WHAT YOU WILL PRACTICE

Draft an interview that discovers customer behaviour without selling your solution.

01

Ask about a specific episode

Start with “Tell me about the last time…” and follow the sequence of events. Ask what triggered the problem, what the person tried, who was involved and what happened next. Specific stories are more useful than predictions about a hypothetical product.

02

Delay the pitch

If you explain your solution too early, the person may start helping you feel good rather than describing their experience. Learn their vocabulary and current alternatives first. Ask permission before recording or collecting sensitive information.

03

Look for commitment carefully

A useful next step might be a follow-up call, an introduction or trying a small manual service. These signals differ in strength. A promise to use a future free product does not mean someone will pay for it.

IN PRACTICE · ORIGINAL EXAMPLE

Instead of “Would an automated report save you time?”, ask “Walk me through the last report you sent. Which part took longest? What have you tried to change? Who decides whether a new tool is used?”

Keep in mind

Do not turn three friendly interviews into a claim that an entire market has the same problem.

The course

A free startup course in three paths

Equip is a free course from X-Dreamers, a Christian community that helps believers turn God-given ideas into startups, projects and ministries. Read any lesson first, or do the exercises here in the learning desk.

  • How to validate a business idea

    Six free lessons on validating a business idea: find a real problem, interview customers, compare ideas, run a test that can fail, then decide.

    6 × lessons · 110 min

  • How to find your first customers

    Six free lessons on finding your first customers: pick an audience you can reach, say why they should choose you, test one channel and measure.

    6 × lessons · 115 min

  • Communication skills for founders

    Six free lessons in communication for founders: listen well, write messages people can act on, open a talk, pause for questions and pitch with evidence.

    6 × lessons · 105 min

Questions about Equip

Is Equip free?

Yes. All 18 lessons are free, with no sign-up and no account. Your notes and progress are saved in your own browser on this device.

Is Equip a Christian course?

Equip is made by X-Dreamers, a Christian community that helps believers turn God-given ideas into startups, projects and ministries. The lessons teach practical skills that work for a business, a church project or a ministry. If you would like people to pray and think it through with you, tell us about your idea.

Tell us about your idea →

How long does the course take?

Each lesson takes 15 to 25 minutes: 18 lessons, about five and a half hours in all. Take one path at a time, or follow the six-week plan that mixes all three.

What do the lessons cover?

Three paths of six lessons: how to validate a business idea, how to find your first customers, and communication skills for founders, from listening well to pitching with evidence.