“Have you tried to solve this yourself?”
From Steve Blank · Author of The Four Steps to the Epiphany; originator of Customer Development
Why it works
Blank's earlyvangelist criteria are explicit: a real early customer doesn't just have a problem, they have 'cobbled together an interim solution' — duct-tape, a spreadsheet, a hired person, a hated competitor. That's the falsifiable test. Asking 'have you tried to solve this yourself?' surfaces that artifact in a way a hypothetical never can: either the person can name a real attempt (and you've found pain shaped like a budget) or they can't (and the problem is theoretical, regardless of how much they agreed it sounded annoying). The question converts a stated problem into behavioral evidence — the only kind worth building against.
When to ask
Early in a customer problem interview, after the person has acknowledged the problem but before you describe anything you're building. Reach for it the moment you're tempted to ask 'would you use this?' — the prior-attempts question is the falsifiable version of that wish.
Good follow-ups
- What did you actually try, and how well did it work?
- What does that workaround cost you — in time, money, or hassle — each time?
- Why did you stop looking, or what made you settle for what you have now?
Watch out for
Accepting 'I thought about it' or 'I looked around once' as a real attempt. Those are intent, not action. Press for what they actually did, what it cost, and whether they still do it: a real workaround has a tool, a person, a frequency, and usually a small ongoing tax. If none of those exist, the honest finding is that this isn't an earlyvangelist — don't rescue the lead by counting their politeness as evidence.
Where to ask
- User interviewgreat
Native habitat — live, you can press on what the workaround cost in time, money, or duct-tape and tell a real attempt from a wish.
- Sales callworkable
A strong discovery probe on a sales or win-loss call; mind the pitch dynamic — buyers who sense a sales motion inflate prior effort.
- In-product surveypoor
Asynchronous, you cannot follow up on a one-line 'yes' to learn what they actually tried; narrow it to one concrete prior attempt so a single field can still carry evidence.
Reworded for this context: “What have you already tried to solve this problem — and what happened?”
- Long-form surveypoor
No way to press a vague 'I looked around' into a real workaround; the answers come back unfalsifiable.
Pairs well with
Stage: Start · A question popularized by Steve Blank
Source: https://steveblank.com/2010/03/04/perfection-by-subtraction-the-minimum-feature-set/