User Interviews

Meera's first interview goes like this. "Would you use an app to buy used textbooks from seniors?" "Yes, definitely!" Ten interviews, ten yeses, and she has learned nothing. Interviews are the most useful research tool a PM has, but only with the right kind of question.

The rule

Ask about the last time it happened, not what they'd do someday.

People are poor predictors of their own future behaviour, and they are polite to strangers. But they can tell you what they actually did, and past behaviour is evidence.

A few more rules:

• Ask open questions that start with how, what or "tell me about". Avoid yes/no.
• Listen far more than you talk. A short silence often draws out the best detail.
• Follow the energy with "Tell me more about that" or "Why was that hard?"
• Don't pitch. Once you describe your idea, people start being polite about it.
• Talk to five to eight people per user group. Patterns usually start repeating by then.
• Ask permission to record, and write down exact quotes rather than your summary of them.

Right after each interview, spend ten minutes noting the three most surprising things you heard, while memory is fresh. After five or six, lay the notes side by side and look for what repeats. One person's strong opinion is an anecdote; the same story from four people is a pattern.

The shortcut

Rewrite every question into the past tense, and take your idea out of it.

When someone says "I'd definitely use that", don't write down a yes. Ask, "When did you last have that problem? What did you do about it?"

Drills

Answer fast — trust the rule.

Remember

• Ask about the last time it happened, not what they'd do someday.
• Shortcut: past tense, open question, your idea removed.
• Trap: pitching or leading, then recording politeness as evidence.