If interviews feel polite but vague, your questions are probably asking for opinions instead of behavior. The goal is to reconstruct what happened, not what people think they might do.
Open with a specific timeline
Use:
"Tell me about the last time you tried to solve [problem]."
Then anchor details:
- What triggered it?
- What did you try first?
- What happened next?
Specific chronology produces better signal than abstract preference questions.
Core question bank that works
- What was at stake if this went wrong?
- Which workaround did you use?
- What was frustrating about that workaround?
- Who else was involved in the decision?
- What made you postpone a better solution?
These questions expose urgency, constraints, and buying context.
Follow-up prompts that expose reality
When answers are generic, ask:
- Can you give one concrete example?
- What did that look like in practice?
- How often did that happen in the last month?
This moves from polished narratives to observable behavior.
End with commitment signals
Close with one probe:
"If a solution fixed this reliably, what would need to be true for you to adopt it this quarter?"
After each interview, write three lines only: core pain, current workaround, willingness to change. If those lines are fuzzy, refine your script before the next call.
