User Interview — PMF Discovery Framework (937-Interview Method)

SKILL.md

---
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