domains / research / interview-script / interview-script

interview-script

Skill card

combined

Both copies define a structured interview script with warm-up, core exploration, and wrap-up, but they diverge on structure, duration, and guardrails. The phuryn copy is anchored in The Mom Test and JTBD with a specific note-taking template and willingness-to-pay probes. The Owl-Listener copy is anchored in Portigal's funnel approach, adds a specific scenarios section, facilitator notes, and a leading-question guardrail table. Neither is a strict reproduction of the other, so crowning one would hide a real alternative.

Repositories

Other copies

Combined skill

---
name: interview-script
description: "Create a structured customer or user interview script with JTBD probing, warm-up, core exploration, and wrap-up. Follows The Mom Test and Portigal's funnel principles — no leading questions, no pitching, focus on past behavior. Use when preparing for user interviews, creating interview guides, or planning discovery research."
---

## Interview Script

Create a structured interview script that surfaces real insights, not just opinions. Follows "The Mom Test" and Portigal's funnel approach — ask about their life, not your idea.

### Domain Context

- **The Mom Test**: Ask about their life, not your idea. Ask about the past, not the future. Talk less, listen more (80/20). Never pitch. Look for strong emotions. Compliments are noise.
- **Portigal's Funnel**: Start with broad context questions before specific feature questions. Use open-ended questions to reveal motivations, behaviors, and mental models.
- **JTBD Probing**: When did you last...? What were you trying to accomplish? What happened next?
- **Product Trio**: Ideally, the PM, Designer, and Engineer work together on discovery.

### Context

You are preparing an interview script for research on **$ARGUMENTS**.

If the user provides files (personas, hypothesis lists, product briefs, research goals, or previous interview notes), read them first.

### Instructions

1. **Clarify research objectives**:
   - What specific questions does the team need answered?
   - What decisions will this research inform?
   - What assumptions need validation?
   - Confirm target participants and interview duration.

2. **Create the interview script** with these sections:

   ### Opening (2-3 min)
   - Introduce yourself and the purpose (learning, not selling).
   - Set expectations: "There are no right or wrong answers. We're here to learn from your experience."
   - Ask permission to record (if applicable).
   - Confirm time available.

   ### Warm-Up: Context & Background (3-5 min)
   - "Tell me about your role and what a typical day/week looks like."
   - "How long have you been doing [activity related to the product area]?"
   - Goal: Build rapport and understand their context.

   ### Core Exploration: Jobs to Be Done (15-20 min)

   **Current situation and behavior** (past tense, specific instances):
   - "Walk me through the last time you [did the thing we're exploring]. What happened?"
   - "What tools or methods did you use?"
   - "How long did it take? Who else was involved?"

   **Pain points and frustrations** (observe, don't lead):
   - "What was the hardest part about that?"
   - "If you could wave a magic wand, what would change?"
   - "What have you tried to solve this? What happened?"

   **Desired outcomes** (their words, not yours):
   - "What does 'good' look like for you in this area?"
   - "How would you know if this was working well?"

   **Willingness to pay / priority** (skin in the game):
   - "How much time/money do you currently spend on this?"
   - "Have you looked for a better solution? What did you find?"
   - "What would you give up to have this solved?"

   ### Specific Scenarios (10-15 min)
   - Walk through specific tasks or experiences relevant to the research themes.
   - Use scenario-based probes to uncover mental models and behaviors.

   ### Probing Techniques
   Use these when you hit an interesting thread:
   - **"Tell me more about that"** — opens up any topic.
   - **"Why?"** (asked gently, 2-3 times) — gets to root causes.
   - **"Can you give me a specific example?"** — moves from opinions to facts.
   - **"What happened next?"** — follows the story.
   - **"How did that make you feel?"** — captures emotional intensity.

   ### Wrap-Up (3-5 min)
   - "Is there anything I didn't ask that you think is important?"
   - "Who else should I talk to about this?"
   - Thank them for their time.
   - Share next steps (if any).

3. **Question Quality Guardrails**:
   Ensure all questions are non-leading. A leading question contains the answer or implies a preferred response. Replace any question that assumes sentiment, behaviour, or outcome.

   | Leading (avoid) | Non-leading (use) |
   |---|---|
   | "Was that frustrating?" | "How did you feel about that?" |
   | "Did you find it easy?" | "How easy or difficult was that for you?" |
   | "Did you like the feature?" | "What did you notice about that feature, if anything?" |
   | "Would you use this?" | "How would you use this in your work, if at all?" |

   **Test each question before including it:** If the question contains its own implied answer, rewrite it as an open invitation. If the question can be answered with yes or no, extend it ("...and why?").

4. **Add facilitator notes**:
   - Tips for staying neutral.
   - How to handle tangents.
   - How to manage time.

5. **Customize the script**: Adapt questions to the specific product area, persona, and research objectives. Add or remove sections based on the interview length available.

6. **Include a note-taking template**:
   ```
   Participant: [Name / ID]
   Date: [Date]
   Key Jobs: [What they're trying to accomplish]
   Current Solution: [What they use today]
   Biggest Pain: [Their #1 frustration]
   Desired Outcome: [What success looks like]
   Willingness to Pay: [How much they invest / would invest]
   Surprise Finding: [Something unexpected]
   Follow-up: [Next steps]
   ```

Save as markdown. Include both the script and the note-taking template.

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### Further Reading

- Interviewing Users — Steve Portigal
- Just Enough Research — Erika Hall
- User Interviews: The Ultimate Guide to Research Interviews
- Continuous Product Discovery Masterclass (CPDM)