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Office Hours — the one where Cameron entered the chat

Think surveys will validate your startup? Think again. Here’s how to do customer interviews that actually move the needle. Live from the Carlsen Center.

Hey friends 👋

Every Friday at noon Pacific, I go live on Substack to answer your questions and talk startups.

Last Friday, I was joined by Cameron Law — live from the Carlson Center as we kicked off Startup Challenge — and we dove into one of the most misunderstood tools in the founder toolkit: customer interviews.

  • Why most validation efforts go wrong (and how to avoid bias traps)

  • How to find early adopters using the “early adopter pyramid”

  • Why surveys are (usually) a trap

  • How to run qualitative interviews that actually generate useful data

  • The magic of talking to just five people per cycle

  • How customer interviews evolve as your startup matures

If you’ve ever felt like you’re “talking to customers” but still not getting any real traction — this one’s for you.

Join me Fridays at noon PST for live office hours in the Substack app. See you there!

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