This recipe produces stage-specific interview guides with exact question scripts, probing follow-ups, anti-pattern warnings for each question, and a structured analysis template for synthesizing insights across 5-15 interviews. Follows The Mom Test methodology for bias-resistant customer research.
| Path | Focus | Duration | Key Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| A: Problem Discovery | Pain validation, current solutions | 45-60 min | Problem severity ranking |
| B: Solution Validation | Solution fit, usability, pricing | 30-45 min | Feature priority list |
| C: Customer Feedback | Satisfaction, expansion, churn | 30 min | NPS drivers + churn risks |
| D: Win/Loss Analysis | Decision process, competitors | 45 min | Win/loss patterns |
Duration: 1-2 hours | Tool: Document editor
Select the appropriate template by stage. Each question includes follow-up probes and anti-pattern warnings. Problem discovery: 12 questions covering context, pain points, willingness to pay, and buying context.
Duration: 3-7 days | Tool: Email, LinkedIn
Target 5-15 interviews per persona. Use warm introductions first, then LinkedIn outreach, then paid recruitment panels as fallback.
Duration: 30-60 min each | Tool: Zoom + Otter.ai
Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% listening, 20% asking. Record everything. Capture exact quotes. Look for green flags (specifics, emotion, action, money) and red flags (compliments, fluff, wishlists).
Duration: 3-6 hours | Tool: Google Sheets + Miro
Build cross-interview analysis identifying patterns with frequency and confidence scores. Validate or invalidate original hypotheses.
Duration: 2-3 hours | Tool: Document editor
Produce interview guide, analysis spreadsheet, discovery findings report, and recommended next steps.
| Metric | Minimum | Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interviews per persona | >= 5 | >= 8 | >= 12 |
| Specific examples/interview | >= 3 | >= 5 | >= 8 |
| Patterns with 40%+ frequency | >= 2 | >= 4 | >= 6 |
| Hypotheses tested | >= 3 | >= 5 | >= 8 |
| Error | Cause | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Only polite positive responses | Leading or solution-focused questions | Rewrite to focus on past behavior; remove product mentions |
| No clear patterns after 10 interviews | Segment too broad | Narrow persona definition; add behavioral questions |
| High no-show rate (>30%) | Insufficient motivation | Add $50 incentive; send 1hr reminder |
| Surface-level answers | Questions lack depth | Add "last time..." probes; use 5-second silence rule |
| Component | Free | Paid | At Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video calls | Google Meet ($0) | Zoom ($13.33/mo) | Zoom Business ($18.33/mo) |
| Transcription | Zoom ($0) | Otter.ai ($8.33/mo) | Rev ($1.50/min) |
| Incentives | None ($0) | $50/person | $150-200/person |
| Total (10 interviews) | $0 | $500-700 | $2K-3K |
Hypothetical questions produce hypothetical answers with no predictive value for actual purchase behavior. [src1]
Replace hypotheticals with "Tell me about the last time you dealt with [problem]."
Once you pitch, every answer is contaminated by social pressure. [src3]
Spend 90% understanding their world. Only mention your solution in the final 2 minutes, if at all.
Use this recipe any time you need to learn from customers or prospects through direct conversation — before building, after launching, when pivoting, or when sales patterns are confusing.