Starting any project, especially in development, requires a thoughtful and comprehensive approach from both parties involved. Preliminary communication, or an interview between the client and developer (with a prepared list of questions to ask before starting a project), provides an opportunity to mitigate up to 90% of potential issues during collaboration.

Learn more about structuring effective communication with examples and explanations of why each question matters.

Preparation is essential before reaching out to a development service provider. This ensures:

• Accurate and thorough communication.
• Providing information for a better understanding of the task.
• Identifying potential problems and challenges.
• Saving time during discussions and project launch.
• Reducing costs associated with corrections during development.

Focus on the following aspects and product discovery interview questions, which are guaranteed to come up during the call:

What Are Your Primary Business Processes?

For example, if your focus is sales, explain how they are initiated, which tools and operations are used, their order, and their significance.

What Are the Primary Challenges Your Company/Department Faces?

Here, describe the challenges you face, such as lengthy client information searches, data inconsistencies, or the complexity of executing a sequence of actions.

What Are the Limitations of Your Current System?

Technical constraints affecting performance, such as the interface (GUI), platform logic, limited features, or the need for additional tools, should be outlined.

Who Are the Key Stakeholders You Work With, and What Are Their Roles and Expectations?

Describe how personnel, managers, and other stakeholders interact with the system, their responsibilities, and the desired outcomes. Pay attention to aligning interests and developing key requirements together.

Do you have any specific requirements or workflows unique to your enterprise?

Any specific features, such as the use of only certain third-party systems and platforms, equipment (e.g., corporate laptops with a closed operating system), or ERP systems.

What Types of Data Does Your Company/Department Gather and Use? Do You Possibly Need Any Additional Solutions to Ensure the Security of the Product?

Clarify the data file formats and security elements you currently use and formulate the requirements for the new system. This is necessary to understand how the development will be structured. 

The information gathered during the preliminary stage will be used for the direct preparation for the call. For this step, you will need:

• Clear requirements and priorities.
• The scope of the new system and integration needs.
• Your financial capabilities for project implementation.

Below, we explain each point in more detail, along with questions to ask before starting a project. 

Have a Clear Vision of Core Requirements and Wishes Regarding Additional Features (Prioritize Key Features but Have a Full List as Well)

Create a full list of requirements for the newly created product. Rank the features and requirements based on the importance of their initial implementation, and assess their potential impact on performance.

Define Integration Needs

If you are developing a replacement product, you will need to adapt current data and its formats. If it’s for expansion, you will need to integrate a new module. In any case, you will need to pre-agree on file formats, integration, and data compatibility issues, synchronization, etc.

Estimate a Realistic Budget and Timeline FOR YOU (to negotiate it in the future)

Calculate your budget and the maximum amount you can allocate for development. This is necessary to form a project roadmap and an implementation plan. It may be better to start with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and gradually expand the platform.

Prepare your own questions for the development team to understand if their profile and experience meet your needs. Here are some nuances (questions to ask a software vendor) to clarify during the early stages of communication.

What Tech Stack Does the Company Use?

The first and especially important question is if you are focusing on expanding an existing product. For new developments, this is also necessary to clarify, to have an idea of the scaling potential and platform maintenance.

How Do They Ensure Scalability and Customization?

This is also a critical question because the answer will determine how long and effectively the product will work after the release. It will also clarify whether it will be easy to maintain and upgrade, and how expensive it will be.

What Is Their Approach to Integrating Third-Party Services?

This is needed to understand whether you will be able to achieve the desired workflow by integrating the product with current services, and to what level of integration each component will have.

How Do They Estimate Timelines?

A question about the development timeline for your solution. Too short – the product may be raw or of poor quality; too long – you may lose potential and opportunities.

What Are the Steps in Their Project Implementation Process?

The answer to this question can only be provided if you have adequately prepared and responded to the previous questions asked by the developer. Although in most cases, the processes are standard.

As promised, below we look at real examples of questions (product discovery interview questions) and preparation processes to answer them. This experience was gained during one of our previous projects, which we developed for a business dealing with the sale and delivery of vehicles.

Can You Describe Your Key Workflows Step by Step (e.g., Lead Management, Dispatching, Payment Processing)?

Describe in detail your workflows, from attracting potential clients to closing deals. Identify and highlight the bottlenecks in the current solution and desires for its modernization. These may include additional features that address gaps in the workflow and improve staff productivity.

What Specific Issues Are You Facing (e.g., Security, Lack of Customization, High Costs)?

List the problems with the current system, such as security breaches, scalability limitations, or inefficiencies. Establish a clear connection between current needs and the capabilities needed to meet them. Focus on prioritizing each challenge to create a clear and cost-effective plan for implementing the solution.

What Key Features Do You Need in Your New System (e.g., Role-Based Access, Sms Integration, Enhanced Logging)?

Create a list of required features categorized as “critical,” “important,” and “nice to have.” Highlight integration needs (e.g., Authorize.net for payments, RingCentral for telephony). Also, consider the visual aspect of the system, which will directly affect work quality.

What Data Security and Compliance Measures Do You Need? Are There Industry Compliance Standards to Meet?

Understand the compliance requirements in your industry (e.g., data protection rules). Prioritize key aspects of your business, including two-factor authentication, activity tracking, etc. Also, include the ability for data backup, and version control for document handling tools.

Do You Envision Scaling This Solution for More Users in the Future?

Evaluate long-term business goals and whether the system will need to support more users or clients in the future. Estimate potential needs for platform expansion over time, and perhaps plan for some modular upgrades.

Do You Have a Target Start and Completion Date for the Project?

Based on the current situation within the company and external factors, set deadlines for project completion. If cost reduction is necessary, the project timeline can be extended, focusing initially on creating an MVP with further upgrades.

What Third-Party Tools or Platforms Does the New System Need to Integrate With?

Create a list of existing tools (e.g., Central Dispatch, SendGrid) and identify key integrations. Outline how data is transferred between systems to help vendors understand the complexity of the integration.

How Many Users Will the System Support, and What Roles or Permissions Are Required?

List the roles in your organization and their access needs (e.g., managers or dispatchers). Briefly describe the specific tasks they perform, the interaction algorithms with the existing system, and desired improvements.

How Familiar Are Your Teams With Similar Systems? Will You Need Onboarding Sessions or Documentation?

Assess the technical qualifications of end-users and prepare to discuss training requirements. Create a list of focus areas to ensure proper training of staff to use the newly created system.

Do You Need Specific Project Documentation, User Guides, or Post-launch Support Plans?

Specify documentation needs for internal use or future scaling. In particular, define the level of detail for logs, their technical components, and ToV explanations for all key elements.

The questions listed in the material are an integral part of the Discovery phase and other preparatory processes. They help both parties understand each other’s needs and capabilities and form an initial roadmap.

The next steps after the interview will include calculating budgets, and timelines, detailing, and prioritizing tasks. However, the answers to product discovery interview questions will serve as the foundation for the further implementation of your project.