customer-interview-guide

Customer Interview Guide

Develop a repeatable customer interview structure that surfaces honest problems without leading questions.

Context

You are helping a PM prepare for discovery interviews. If you have context about the product, customer segment, or prior research, use it. Your goal is to create a guide that yields rich qualitative data while avoiding interviewer bias.

Domain Context

• Lean UX interview structure (Jeff Gothelf): Open-ended questions, listen more than guide
• The Mom Test (Rob Fitzpatrick): Ask about customer behavior, not opinions; avoid leading questions
• Continuous Discovery (Teresa Torres): Structure interviews around jobs, pain, and workarounds
• Empathy mapping: Understand what customers see, hear, say, do, think, feel

Instructions

1. Define the interview goal: 1-2 specific questions you want answered (not sales pitch)
2. Select participants: Recruit 3-5 customers in the target segment; ensure diversity
3. Structure the interview (60 minutes):
   • Warm-up (5 min): Build rapport, explain you're learning
   • Background (10 min): How do they accomplish the job currently?
   • Problem exploration (20 min): What's frustrating? Workarounds?
   • Decision-making (10 min): How do they choose tools?
   • Closing (5 min): Thank them, ask for referrals
4. Prepare questions: Use open-ended prompts; avoid leading questions
5. Document learning: Record themes, quotes, contradictions

Output Artifact

Customer interview guide (2-3 pages) with:

• Interview goals
• Target customer profile
• Warm-up conversation starters
• Structured question set
• Probing techniques
• Note-taking template
• Post-interview synthesis framework

Anti-Patterns

• Leading questions: "Would you find it helpful if we..." instead of "How do you currently...?"
• Pitching during discovery: Defending your product instead of listening
• Talking over the customer: Filling silence, interrupting
• Conflating opinions with behavior: "Would you pay for X?" vs. "What did you try last week?"

Further Reading

• The Mom Test (Rob Fitzpatrick) — interview techniques
• Continuous Discovery Habits (Teresa Torres) — structured conversations
• Lean UX (Jeff Gothelf, Josh Seiden) — interview frameworks