All In Startup: Launching a New Idea When Everything Is on the Line

Chapter 15The Secret to Customer Interviews Is Nonleading, Open-Ended Questions

Slowly. Move the arms first. Okay, they’re moving pretty well. Now try the legs, left leg first. Pretty good. Right le—ooooow. Yep, Owen was still sore from the crash. He knew he would be. There had been a turning point around the age of 27 when some switch had turned off and suddenly crashes, scrapes, and bruises all hurt twice as long as they used to. That’s why he’d left a bottle of ibuprofen by the bed last night. Except it wasn’t by the bed. Where was it? Shit. He must have left it in the bathroom. All right, up and at ’em, kid.

He got out of bed slowly. Gingerly. On the way to the bathroom, he took his phone off the charger. He had a text from Lisa wishing him a good night. He was glad she had called him last night. He felt weird about not telling Lisa that Sam was a woman. It was just too complicated to explain, and it would take attention away from ReBicycle and the opportunity he had to test his business and figure out if there was anything in the model he needed to tweak. She didn’t seem to understand, but she listened, and she tried to be supportive.

Owen turned off his alarm—it was set for 10 A.M., but no need—he was too excited to sleep. He hadn’t been this excited about ReBicycle in a while. A long while. It was only 8 A.M., though, which meant play had just started and the lobby below would be a madhouse. Today was the last day of the second round. Sam would make it through today. ...