Discovery Interview Prep

Why This Works

• Goal-driven: Aligns interview approach to what you need to learn
• Adaptive: Adjusts methodology based on product stage (idea vs. existing product) and access constraints
• Bias-aware: Highlights common pitfalls (leading questions, confirmation bias, solution-first thinking)
• Actionable: Outputs interview guide ready to use

Anti-Patterns (What This Is NOT)

• Not a user testing script: Discovery = learning problems; testing = validating solutions
• Not a sales demo: Don't pitch—listen and learn
• Not surveys at scale: Deep qualitative interviews (5-10 people), not broad surveys (100+ people)

When to Use This

• Starting product discovery (validating problem space)
• Repositioning an existing product (understanding new market)
• Investigating churn or drop-off (retention interviews)
• Evaluating feature ideas before building
• Preparing for customer development sprints

When NOT to Use This

• User testing a prototype (use usability testing frameworks instead)
• Quantitative research at scale (use surveys, analytics)
• When you already know the problem (move to solution validation)

Facilitation Source of Truth

Use workshop-facilitation as the default interaction protocol for this skill.

It defines:

• session heads-up + entry mode (Guided, Context dump, Best guess)
• one-question turns with plain-language prompts
• progress labels (for example, Context Qx/8 and Scoring Qx/5)
• interruption handling and pause/resume behavior
• numbered recommendations at decision points
• quick-select numbered response options for regular questions (include Other (specify) when useful)

This file defines the domain-specific assessment content. If there is a conflict, follow this file's domain logic.

Application

This interactive skill asks up to 4 adaptive questions, offering 3-4 enumerated options at each step.

Step 0: Gather Context (Before Questions)

Agent suggests:

Before we design your interview plan, let's gather context:

For Your Own Product (Existing or Planned):

• Problem hypothesis or product concept description
• Target customer segment (if known)
• Existing research (support tickets, churn data, user feedback)
• Product website or positioning materials
• Key assumptions you're trying to validate

For Investigating an Existing Problem:

• Customer complaints, support tickets, or churn reasons
• Hypotheses about why customers leave or struggle
• Competitive alternatives customers switch to

If Exploring a New Problem Space:

• Find similar products or adjacent solutions
• Copy competitor materials, customer reviews (G2, Capterra), or community discussions (Reddit, forums)
• We'll use these to frame hypotheses

You can paste this content directly, or we can proceed with a brief description.

Question 1: Research Goal

Agent asks: "What's the primary goal of these discovery interviews? (What do you need to learn?)"

Offer 4 enumerated options:

1. Problem validation — "Confirm that a problem exists and is painful enough to solve" (for new product ideas)
2. Jobs-to-be-Done discovery — "Understand what customers are trying to accomplish and why current solutions fail" (for product strategy)
3. Retention/churn investigation — "Figure out why customers leave or don't activate" (for existing products with churn issues)
4. Feature prioritization — "Validate which problems/features matter most to customers" (for roadmap planning)

Or describe your own research goal (be specific: what question are you trying to answer?).

User response: [Selection or custom]

Question 2: Target Customer Segment

Agent asks: "Who are you interviewing? (Be as specific as possible.)"

Offer 4 enumerated options (adapted based on Q1):

Example (if Q1 = Problem validation):

1. People who experience the problem regularly — E.g., "Small business owners who manually process invoices weekly" (high pain frequency)
2. People who've tried to solve it — E.g., "Users who've tried 2+ competing solutions and churned" (understand failures)
3. People in the target segment (regardless of problem awareness) — E.g., "All freelancers, even if they don't realize invoicing is a problem" (uncover latent needs)
4. People who've recently experienced the problem — E.g., "Customers who churned in the last 30 days" (fresh memory)

Or describe your specific target segment (role, company size, behaviors, demographics).

Adaptation tip: Use personas or customer segments from provided materials.

User response: [Selection or custom]

Question 3: Constraints

Agent asks: "What constraints are you working with for these interviews?"

Offer 4 enumerated options:

1. Limited access — "Can only interview 5-10 customers, need results in 2 weeks" (common for startups or fast timelines)
2. Existing customer base — "Have 100+ active customers, can recruit easily" (mature product advantage)
3. Cold outreach required — "No existing customers; need to recruit from scratch via LinkedIn, ads, or communities" (new product challenge)
4. Internal stakeholders only — "Can interview sales/support teams who talk to customers daily" (proxy research, less ideal but pragmatic)

Or describe your specific constraints (budget, time, access, team capacity).

User response: [Selection or custom]

Question 4: Interview Methodology

Agent asks: "Based on your goal ([Q1]), target segment ([Q2]), and constraints ([Q3]), here are recommended interview methodologies:"

Offer 3-4 enumerated options (context-aware based on Q1-Q3):

Example (if Q1 = Problem validation, Q2 = People who experience problem regularly, Q3 = Limited access):

1. Problem validation interviews (Mom Test style) — Ask about past behavior, not hypotheticals. Focus on: "Tell me about the last time you [experienced the problem]. What did you try? What happened?" (Best for: Validating if problem is real and painful)

2. Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) interviews — Focus on what customers are trying to accomplish, not what they want. Ask: "What were you trying to get done? What alternatives did you consider? What made you choose X?" (Best for: Understanding motivations and switching behavior)

3. Switch interviews — Interview customers who recently switched from a competitor or alternative. Ask: "What prompted you to look for a new solution? What was the 'push' away from the old tool? What 'pulled' you to try ours?" (Best for: Understanding competitive positioning and unmet needs)

4. Timeline/journey mapping interviews — Walk through their entire experience chronologically. Ask: "Walk me through the first time you encountered this problem. What happened next? How did you try to solve it?" (Best for: Uncovering full context and pain points)

Choose a number, combine approaches (e.g., '1 & 2'), or describe your own methodology.

Adaptation examples:

• If Q1 = Retention/churn → Prioritize "Exit interviews" or "Switch interviews (away from your product)"
• If Q1 = Feature prioritization → Prioritize "Opportunity solution tree interviews" or "Kano model interviews"
• If Q3 = Internal stakeholders only → Add caveat: "Proxy research (talking to sales/support) is better than nothing, but validate with real customers ASAP"

User response: [Selection or custom]

Output: Generate Interview Plan

After collecting responses, the agent generates a tailored interview plan:

# Discovery Interview Plan

**Research Goal:** [From Q1]
**Target Segment:** [From Q2]
**Constraints:** [From Q3]
**Methodology:** [From Q4]

---

## Interview Framework

### Opening (5 minutes)
- **Build rapport:** "Thanks for taking the time. I'm [name], and I'm researching [problem space]. This isn't a sales call—I'm here to learn from your experience."
- **Set expectations:** "I'll ask about your experiences with [topic]. There are no right answers. Feel free to be honest—critical feedback is most helpful."
- **Get consent:** "Is it okay if I take notes / record this conversation?"

---

### Core Questions (30-40 minutes)

**Based on your methodology ([Q4]), here are suggested questions:**

#### [Methodology Name] Questions:

1. **[Question 1]** — [Rationale for asking this]
   - **Follow-up:** [Dig deeper with...]
   - **Avoid:** [Don't ask leading version like...]

2. **[Question 2]** — [Rationale]
   - **Follow-up:** [...]
   - **Avoid:** [...]

3. **[Question 3]** — [Rationale]
   - **Follow-up:** [...]
   - **Avoid:** [...]

4. **[Question 4]** — [Rationale]
   - **Follow-up:** [...]
   - **Avoid:** [...]

5. **[Question 5]** — [Rationale]
   - **Follow-up:** [...]
   - **Avoid:** [...]

**Example (if Methodology = Problem validation - Mom Test style):**

1. **"Tell me about the last time you [experienced this problem]."** — Gets specific, recent behavior (not hypothetical)
   - **Follow-up:** "What were you trying to accomplish? What made it hard? What did you try?"
   - **Avoid:** "Would you use a tool that solves this?" (leading, hypothetical)

2. **"How do you currently handle [this problem]?"** — Reveals workarounds, alternatives, pain intensity
   - **Follow-up:** "How much time/money does that take? What's frustrating about it?"
   - **Avoid:** "Don't you think that's inefficient?" (leading)

3. **"Can you walk me through what you did step-by-step?"** — Uncovers details, edge cases, context
   - **Follow-up:** "What happened next? Where did you get stuck?"
   - **Avoid:** "Was it hard?" (yes/no question, not useful)

4. **"Have you tried other solutions for this?"** — Reveals competitive landscape, unmet needs
   - **Follow-up:** "What did you like/dislike? Why did you stop using it?"
   - **Avoid:** "Would you pay for a better solution?" (hypothetical)

5. **"If you had a magic wand, what would change?"** — Opens space for ideal outcomes (but treat with skepticism—focus on past behavior, not wishes)
   - **Follow-up:** "Why does that matter to you? What would that enable?"
   - **Avoid:** Taking feature requests literally

---

### Closing (5 minutes)
- **Summarize:** "Just to recap, I heard that [key insights]. Did I get that right?"
- **Ask for referrals:** "Do you know anyone else who experiences this problem? Could you introduce me?"
- **Thank them:** "This was incredibly helpful. I really appreciate your time."

---

## Biases to Avoid

1. **Confirmation bias:** Don't ask "Don't you think X is a problem?" → Ask "Tell me about your experience with X."
2. **Leading questions:** Don't ask "Would you use this?" → Ask "What have you tried? Why did it work/fail?"
3. **Hypothetical questions:** Don't ask "If we built Y, would you pay?" → Ask "What do you currently pay for? Why?"
4. **Pitching disguised as research:** Don't say "We're building Z to solve X" → Say "I'm researching X. Tell me about your experience."
5. **Yes/no questions:** Don't ask "Is invoicing hard?" → Ask "Walk me through your invoicing process."

---

## Success Criteria

You'll know these interviews are successful if:

✅ **You hear specific stories, not generic complaints** — "Last Tuesday, I spent 3 hours..." vs. "Invoicing is annoying"
✅ **You uncover past behavior, not hypothetical wishes** — "I tried Zapier but quit after 2 weeks" vs. "I'd probably use automation"
✅ **You identify patterns across 3+ interviews** — Same pain points emerge independently
✅ **You're surprised by something** — If everything confirms your assumptions, you're asking leading questions
✅ **You can quote customers verbatim** — Actual language = authentic insights

---

## Interview Logistics

**Recruiting:**
- [Based on Q3 constraints, suggest recruitment channels]
- **Example (if Q3 = Limited access):** "Reach out to 20-30 people to get 5-10 interviews (33% response rate is typical)"
- **Example (if Q3 = Existing customers):** "Email 50 customers with $50 Amazon gift card incentive"

**Scheduling:**
- 45-60 minutes per interview (30-40 min conversation + buffer)
- Record if possible (with consent), or take detailed notes
- Schedule 2-3 per day max (you need time to synthesize)

**Synthesis:**
- After each interview, write key insights immediately (memory fades fast)
- After 5 interviews, look for patterns (common pains, jobs, workarounds)
- Use `problem-statement.md` to frame findings

---

**Ready to start recruiting and interviewing? Let me know if you'd like to refine any part of this plan.**

Examples

Example 1: Good Discovery Interview Prep (Problem Validation)

Step 0 - Context: User shares hypothesis: "Freelancers waste time chasing late payments manually."

Q1 Response: "Problem validation — Confirm that late payment follow-ups are painful enough to solve"

Q2 Response: "People who experience the problem regularly — Freelancers who invoice 5+ clients monthly"

Q3 Response: "Cold outreach required — No existing customers; need to recruit via LinkedIn, Reddit, freelancer communities"

Q4 Response: "Problem validation interviews (Mom Test style) — Focus on past behavior, not hypotheticals"

Generated Plan: Includes 5 Mom Test-style questions (last time you chased a late payment, how do you currently handle it, what have you tried, etc.), biases to avoid (leading questions, hypotheticals), and success criteria (specific stories, past behavior, patterns across 3+ interviews).

Why this works:

• Goal is clear (validate if problem is real)
• Segment is specific (freelancers with 5+ clients/month)
• Methodology matches goal (Mom Test for validation)
• Questions focus on past behavior, not wishes
• Success criteria are measurable

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Asking What Customers Want

Symptom: "What features do you want us to build?"

Consequence: You get feature requests, not problems. Customers don't know solutions.

Fix: Ask about past behavior: "Tell me about the last time you struggled with X."

Pitfall 2: Pitching Instead of Listening

Symptom: Spending 20 minutes explaining your product idea

Consequence: Customer feels obligated to be nice. No honest feedback.

Fix: Don't mention your solution until the last 5 minutes (if at all). Focus on their problems.

Pitfall 3: Interviewing the Wrong People

Symptom: Interviewing friends, family, or people who don't experience the problem

Consequence: Polite feedback, not real insights.

Fix: Interview people who experience the problem regularly and recently.

Pitfall 4: Stopping at 1-2 Interviews

Symptom: "We talked to 2 people, they liked it, let's build!"

Consequence: Small sample = confirmation bias.

Fix: Interview 5-10 people minimum. Look for patterns, not one-off feedback.

Pitfall 5: Not Recording Insights

Symptom: Relying on memory after interviews

Consequence: Lose details, misremember quotes, can't spot patterns.

Fix: Record (with consent) or take detailed notes. Synthesize immediately after each interview.

References

Related Skills

• problem-statement.md — Use interview insights to frame problem statement
• proto-persona.md — Define interview target segment
• jobs-to-be-done.md — JTBD methodology for interviews

External Frameworks

• Rob Fitzpatrick, The Mom Test (2013) — How to ask good questions without biasing answers
• Clayton Christensen, Jobs to Be Done — Interview methodology for understanding motivations
• Teresa Torres, Continuous Discovery Habits (2021) — Opportunity solution tree interviews

Dean's Work

• Problem Framing Canvas (synthesizes interview findings)

Skill type: Interactive Suggested filename: discovery-interview-prep.md Suggested placement: /skills/interactive/ Dependencies: Uses problem-statement.md, proto-persona.md, jobs-to-be-done.md