Conducting Interviews

Interview Guidelines: The Best Practices

"Human needs and wants set stories in motion and determine all that follows... a story begins with a character who wants something, struggles to overcome barriers that stand in the way of achieving it, and moves through a series of actions—the actual story structure—to overcome them." — Lajos Egri, Art of Dramatic Writing (1942)

Customer forces stories are dramatic stories. The more drama (emotion) and struggle you find, the more the opportunity for innovation.

A good interviewer's job is to tease out the drama from a seemingly dry customer journey story.

The Interview Setup Guidelines

Prefer Face-to-Face Interviews

Meeting someone in person instills a sense of closeness that you can't recreate over the phone. This is critical in customer relationship building. Even if a face-to-face interview isn't possible, prefer a video call whenever possible.

Pick a Neutral Location

Conduct the first interview in a coffee shop to create a more casual atmosphere. Doing it at a prospect's office makes it feel more like a sales pitch—which it shouldn't be.

Ask for Sufficient Time

Problem discovery interviews typically run 45 minutes without feeling rushed. Suggest asking for an hour and ending early if you're done sooner.

Conduct Interviews in Pairs

If you've got other team members, conduct these interviews in pairs. This way, you can take turns asking questions while the other person takes notes and formulates additional questions. It's also a great way of comparing notes later and keeping your confirmation biases in check.

Record the Interview

If the prospect is okay with being recorded, it's very helpful to record the interview that you can listen to again, share with your team members, and even run through a transcription service.

The Interview Conduct Guidelines

Build a Frame Around Learning, Not Pitching

In a learning frame, the roles are reversed: you set the context, but then you let the customer do most of the talking. You don't have to know all the answers and every customer conversation turns into an opportunity for learning.

Ask Questions Versus Making Assertions

Your objective with these interviews is to learn versus pitch. You sidestep this pitfall by talking less and listening more. A good technique is to start or end every sentence with a question.

Focus on Facts Versus Hypotheticals

A golden rule for discovery interviews is focusing on what customers actually did in the past versus asking what they may (or may not) do in the future. Pretend you're a journalist. Your job is to uncover the raw story and capture facts versus fiction.

Don't Ask Customers About Problems

Avoid asking your customers directly about problems. Instead, have your customers focus on how they use existing alternatives and look for points of friction (struggle).

Go Deep, Be Curious

The way to go deeper is to be naturally curious, don't assume anything, and follow-up with qualifying open-ended questions like:

• How did you do that?
• What do you mean by...?
• I'm a bit confused...can we slow down the timeline and could you tell me...

Recreate the Timeline of Events

Start the interview by anchoring the conversation around the selection/purchase (hiring) event of the existing alternative you are studying. Then work backwards to uncover the triggering events that led up to the selection. Then work the timeline forward to explore usage all the way until the most recent usage.

The Interview Meta-Script

Since you have limited time, you still need to stay focused on your key objectives during an interview to maximize your learning. This is where having a meta-script helps.

What Is a Meta-Script?

A meta-script is NOT a word-for-word script you read to customers. It's a framework that keeps you on track while maintaining a natural conversation flow.

Think of it like a jazz musician's chord progression. The structure is there, but you improvise within it.

The Problem Discovery Interview Meta-Script

Opening (2-3 minutes)

Set the frame:

• Thank them for their time
• Explain you're learning about [problem space]
• Emphasize you're not pitching anything
• Ask permission to record
• Promise to respect their time

First Thought Discovery (5-10 minutes)

Find the triggering event:

• "I'd love to hear the story of when you first realized [problem area] was an issue..."
• "Take me back to that moment when you started thinking about this..."
• "When exactly was that?" "Why then and not earlier?"

Passive Looking Exploration (10-15 minutes)

Uncover the building push:

• "Walk me through what was happening before you started actively looking for solutions..."
• "How were you handling [task] at that time?"
• "What was frustrating about that?"
• "How much time was that taking? What was the cost?"

Active Looking Discovery (10-15 minutes)

Explore the pull and research:

• "When did you start actively looking for a solution?"
• "What were you hoping a solution would help you achieve?"
• "What alternatives did you research?"
• "What was most important to you?"

Deciding Investigation (5-10 minutes)

Surface anxieties and habits:

• "What concerns did you have about making a change?"
• "What almost stopped you from buying?"
• "What finally made you decide to move forward?"

First Use Validation (3-5 minutes)

Validate the outcome:

• "How has [solution] been working out?"
• "Did it deliver on what you were hoping for?"
• "Would you make the same decision again?"

Closing (2 minutes)

• "Is there anything important I didn't ask about?"
• "Can I follow up if I have clarifying questions?"
• "Do you know anyone else who might have similar experiences?"
• Thank them for their time

Perceptual Learning Activity: Interview a Friend

The Safe Practice Approach

As you prepare to conduct your first problem discovery interview, start by interviewing a friend about a product they recently purchased and unpacking the customer forces that led them to select and use this product.

Why start with a friend about someone else's product? Starting with a product (other than your own) that you aren't vested in allows you to objectively practice customer interviewing without bias. This provides psychological safety and allows you to practice more confidently.

Your Assignment

1. Select a product category you're curious about (headphones, standing desk, coffee maker) and find a friend who purchased one in the last 90 days
2. Prep your friend: "I'm learning customer interviewing skills. Would you spend 45 minutes telling me about [product] you recently bought? I'm not selling anything - just practicing."
3. Conduct the interview using the meta-script structure
4. Post-process within 15 minutes: Write a complete Customer Forces Story
5. Reflect on your performance: What went well? What needs improvement?

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Pitching Instincts: You start explaining instead of listening. Fix: Bite your tongue. Ask another question.
• Rushing Through: You move to the next question too quickly. Fix: Ask "Can you tell me more about that?" at least 3 times.
• Accepting Surface Answers: Friend says "It was just time for a new one." Fix: "What made it time? What had changed?"
• Fearing Silence: Silence feels awkward so you fill it. Fix: Count to 5 after they stop talking.

Success Criteria

You'll know you've nailed this exercise if:

• Your friend felt heard, not interrogated
• You got a complete five-part story with all phases covered
• You identified all four forces in their decision
• You found at least 3 places where you could have probed deeper
• You felt slightly uncomfortable (that's growth!)

Conducting Checkpoint: Are You Ready?

Your Pre-Flight Checklist

Before conducting your first real customer interview, verify you can:

Set the Frame

• Open with a learning frame, not a pitch?
• Get permission to record?
• Make the interviewee comfortable?

Navigate the Timeline

• Anchor around a specific event?
• Work backward to find the trigger?
• Work forward through usage?

Probe Effectively

• Ask "how" and "what" instead of "why"?
• Use the "confused" approach?
• Dig 3 levels deep on any topic?
• Handle silence comfortably?

Extract Forces

• Identify push forces (pain, frustration)?
• Draw out pull forces (desired outcomes)?
• Surface anxieties (fears, doubts)?
• Expose habits (comfort with current state)?

The Confidence vs. Competence Gap

After your first 3 interviews, you'll feel awkward and uncertain. That's okay. You're building muscle memory.

After your first 5 interviews, you'll start to see patterns. The meta-script becomes natural.

After your first 10 interviews, you'll develop instincts. You'll know when to probe deeper without thinking.

Don't expect mastery on day one. Expect progress with each conversation.