<aside> 👇 These are questions I ask the main stakeholder when joining a new project as a consultant. They are designed to develop an understanding of the client's needs for the project, their overall business, current hypothesis and expectations. They are also a great reference point throughout the project. I've never asked all the questions, but I do try to select the most relevant ones for each project. Something that has worked out well for me in the past is to email the important questions I didn't get to ask for them to come back to me later.

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Understanding the product

The product is the standalone piece of software we'll be working on.

• What is this product all about?
• What is the goal of your product?
• What’s the story of the product?
• How long does it exist?
• What is the current state of the product?
• How does this product generate revenue for your business?
• What are you trying to accomplish in the next 6 months? What are you trying to accomplish in the next year?

Understanding the project

The project is the particular set of objectives of our engagement.

• What are the goals of this project?
• What is our role to help you achieve these goals?
• What’s getting in the way of accomplishing this goal?
• Who are the key stakeholders?
• What has been done so far on the product & project that we should be aware of?
• What worked? what did not? Why?