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Cornelius Communications

March 22, 2024

Build customer discovery into your weekly rhythm

A lightweight operating system for recurring interviews, synthesis, and activation.

TL;DR

Effective customer discovery starts with a clear learning goal that shapes who you talk to and what you ask. Make recruiting everyone's job through simple nomination tools, standardize 30-minute interviews with shared templates, and synthesize findings publicly within 24 hours. Post three-bullet summaries in dedicated channels and host weekly 20-minute readouts to connect dots and decide on follow-ups. Remember: insight without action is just trivia-make discovery a recurring part of your team's weekly rhythm.


Anchor on the learning goal

Before booking a single interview, write down the decision you're trying to inform. Is it a pricing change? A new persona? A retention gap? The goal shapes who you talk to and what you ask.

Make recruiting everyone's job

Give sales, success, and support simple ways to nominate customers: a shared form, a Slack shortcut, or an automation triggered by CRM fields. Publicly thank teammates when they contribute. Momentum is contagious.

Standardise the interview ritual

Timebox conversations to 30 minutes, record them, and use a shared note template. Focus on moments, not opinions. Ask "when was the last time" instead of "would you."

Synthesise in public

Within 24 hours, post a three-bullet summary in a dedicated channel. Tag the people who should care. Once a week, host a 20-minute readout to connect dots and decide on follow-ups. Insight without action is trivia.

-Ben Cornelius