The one question your customers wish you’d ask in 2025

If you could ask your customers just one question—one with the potential to either make or break your 2025—what would it be?

This time of year, everyone’s setting goals. But goals that truly matter—the ones that inspire action—come from understanding those you serve.

So, how do you figure out the question that could change everything?

Here are a few world-class examples:

“What would make you feel more comfortable staying in someone’s home?”

This simple, emotive query could have inspired Airbnb’s focus on trust-building features like reviews and host verification.

"What’s really stopping you from opening an online version of your business?”

By asking this, Tobias Lütke (Shopify) might have uncovered barriers like technical complexity and high costs.

“What’s the most annoying part of communicating with your team at work?”

This everyday frustration likely led the Founders of Slack to double down on solving issues like email overload and clunky apps.

These [albeit hypothetical 🙂] examples show that stepping into your customers’ shoes—understanding their Jobs, pains, and ideal outcomes—is where the magic happens ✨

As Rob Fitzpatrick, author of The Mom Test (buy this book!), said:

Let’s put theory into action:

In the context of your own product / service, try asking one of these:

• “What are you wrestling with the most when it comes to [insert their Job or desired Outcome]?”

• “If we could change one thing about our product/service to better meet your needs, what would it be?”

• “What’s one thing that would make [insert Job or Process] faster, easier, or more enjoyable?”

Next week, schedule a conversation with one customer. Ask the question, listen deeply, and take notes. You don’t need structured perfection or a polished survey. Start small—with little to no expectations.

If we challenge ourselves to ask big, bold questions that hold the potential to change everything, 2025 could be a big year for all of us!

Good luck and Happy New Year 🥳