Startup Advisory for Customer Discovery and Non-Dilutive Funding

What a real interview sounds like

Customer discovery interviews are not pitches disguised as questions. A real interview explores the customer's current workflow, the problem they face, how they solve it today, what they have tried, why it failed, how much the problem costs them in time or money, and what would make switching to a new solution worth the risk and friction.

Founders learn to ask open-ended questions, listen for behavior instead of opinions, probe for specifics when answers are vague, and recognize weak signals that suggest the problem is not urgent or the customer will not pay. The goal is evidence, not validation.

What you do with 100 conversations

One interview proves nothing. Patterns emerge across 50 to 100 structured conversations. Founders learn to code responses, identify customer segments, recognize which problems are urgent and which are nice-to-haves, map the current alternative and its limitations, and surface the conditions under which customers would switch.

This evidence informs the business model. Who is the early adopter? What job are they hiring the product to do? What channels reach them? What relationships matter? What does the cost structure and revenue model look like? Tyrome helps founders turn discovery data into business model decisions grounded in reality, not wishful thinking.

Founders advancing through accelerators need more than slides. They need validated customer insights, business model clarity, go-to-market sequencing, and evidence that the team can execute. Tyrome has mentored startups in accelerators where cohort companies advanced to TechStars and SXSW.

Pitch readiness is not about performance. It is about clarity. Can the founder articulate the customer problem in the customer's words? Do they know the current alternative and why it fails? Can they explain the business model, not just the product? Do they have evidence of customer urgency? Can they sequence the next 12 months of work around validated assumptions?

The strongest pitches come from founders who have done the discovery work. Advisory helps founders surface that evidence, structure it into a coherent narrative, and present it with confidence grounded in customer conversations, not projection.

What is the difference between SBIR and STTR?

SBIR allows companies to perform all research internally. STTR requires a formal research partnership with a university or nonprofit research institution, with at least 30 percent of the work performed by the partner and 40 percent by the small business. Both programs fund technology development in three phases without requiring equity.

How many customer interviews do I need before I raise?

Customer discovery is not a checkbox. Founders should conduct interviews until patterns emerge, assumptions are validated or disproven, and the team can describe the customer problem, current alternative, switching friction, and value proposition with evidence. For most B2B or mission-driven ventures, that requires 50 to 100 structured conversations.

Can you help me write the proposal?

The advisory work focuses on readiness, strategic fit, customer evidence, and commercialization thinking. It is not grant writing. If your startup has validated the problem and market, advisory can help position the opportunity and navigate the funding landscape. Specialized proposal writers can be recommended if needed.

Do you take equity?

No. Tyrome Smith provides advisory services on a consulting basis, not as a compensated advisor or board member taking equity. Engagements are structured as fixed-fee projects, retainers, or hourly consulting depending on the scope and timeline.

I have never sold to the government, where do I start?

Start with customer discovery focused on a specific mission problem and agency. Identify the budget line, program office, and decision-maker who owns that problem. Learn the procurement vehicle they use. Understand their current solution and why switching to yours would be worth the organizational friction. SBIR can be an entry path if your technology aligns to an agency topic.

How early is too early to work with an advisor?

There is no too early if you are ready to test assumptions rather than pitch. Advisory is most useful when founders have an idea and need to validate the problem, identify the real customer, design discovery interviews, or assess whether non-dilutive funding fits their technology and go-to-market path.