Find product-market fit faster through user interviews — the same framework HeyGen used across 937 interviews to reach PMF. Includes ready-to-use question ba...
--- name: "User Interview Playbook" description: Find product-market fit faster through user interviews — the same framework HeyGen used across 937 interviews to reach PMF. Includes ready-to-use question banks, JTBD templates, churn interview scripts, and NPS follow-up processes. For PMs, UX researchers, and founders who need signal, not noise. --- # User Interview Playbook > "Product founders spend the first 6 months doing intensive user interviews. HeyGen's founder did 937 interviews in 6 months." — **Iris** ## Quick Reference ### User Priority (Who to Interview First) | Priority | User Type | Why | |----------|-----------|-----| | 🔴 P0 | Paying Users | Highest value, most honest feedback | | 🔴 P0 | Power Users | Deep product knowledge | | 🟠 P1 | Competitor Users | Understand alternatives | | 🟠 P1 | Churned Users | Learn why they left | | 🟡 P2 | Registered Non-Payers | Conversion blockers | ### Interview Setup - **Duration**: 30-45 minutes - **Format**: Video call with screen recording - **Team**: 1 moderator + 1 note-taker - **Recording**: Mandatory (with consent) ### Core Questions **Background (Must-Ask):** - What do you do for work? - How did you hear about us? - Which features do you use most? - What other similar tools do you use? **Deep Dive:** - What problem are you solving with our product? - How did you solve this before us? - What frustrates you about using our product? - **If you had a magic wand, what would you change?** **Payment Intent:** - What tools have you paid for before? - How much would you pay for our product? - What would make you upgrade to paid? ### Screen Sharing (Critical!) > "Have users share their screen. Watch how they use it. See where they get stuck." **Observe:** - Navigation patterns - Where they get stuck - Features used vs ignored - Emotional reactions **Prompt:** ``` "Could you show me how you typically use our product? Just do what you'd normally do." ``` ### User Grading | Tier | Profile | Action | |------|---------|--------| | 🔴 S | Power + Paid + Advocates | Ambassador program, CEO contact | | 🟠 A | Power + Payment potential | Beta access, regular check-ins | | 🟡 B | Occasional + No payment intent | Guide to core features | | ⚪ C | Low activity | Monitor natural retention | ### Key Benchmarks | Metric | Target | |--------|--------| | Registration → Paid | 5-8% | | Interview Frequency | 3-5/week | | Insights per Interview | 3+ actionable items | ### Invitation Template ``` Hi [Name], I'm [Your Name] from [Company]. We noticed you've been using [Product] and would love to invite you to a 30-minute interview. The session will be recorded for internal review only. Would you have time this week? ``` ### Follow-up Cadence - Day 1: Initial invite - Day 3: First follow-up - Day 7: Second follow-up - Day 10: Final follow-up - **Multi-channel**: LinkedIn, email, Telegram, Discord ### Closing Script 1. **Ambassador Invite**: "We have a user ambassador program — interested?" 2. **Referrals**: "Know anyone else who might benefit?" 3. **Thank You**: "Your feedback is incredibly valuable!" ## Post-Interview Debrief Template ```markdown ## Interview Info - Date: - User: - Duration: ## User Value Assessment - [ ] High (Power user, pays, advocates) - [ ] Medium (Occasional, some interest) - [ ] Low (Low activity, no payment intent) ## Key Findings - Validated needs: - New discoveries: - Pain points: - Bugs found: ## Competitor Intel - Products used: - Their strengths: - Their weaknesses: ## Payment Signals - Willingness: - Price sensitivity: - Upgrade triggers: ## Feature Requests | Feature | Priority | Notes | |---------|----------|-------| ## Follow-up Actions - [ ] Schedule next touchpoint - [ ] Loop in PM if needed - [ ] Ambassador invite sent ``` ## Resources - **Full Playbook**: https://github.com/Gingiris/gingiris-user-interview - **Author**: Iris (生姜iris) — ex-AFFiNE COO - **Consulting**: [@Iris_carrot on Telegram](https://t.me/Iris_carrot) ## Related Skills - `gingiris-launch` — AI Product Launch Playbook - `gingiris-opensource` — Open Source Marketing - `gingiris-b2b-growth` — B2B SaaS Growth - `gingiris-aso-growth` — Mobile App ASO
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