Q:How do I run good customer interviews?

Teresa Torres's guidance centers on frequent, story-based interviews that look for context rather than validation of your ideas¹⁴. The core move is to ask for a specific recent story instead of direct questions, because people answer direct questions unreliably²⁴.

01Set up a steady habit

• Treat interviewing as a weekly habit, and automate recruiting so an interview is already on the calendar¹⁵.
• Interview customers with the whole product trio attending, so members hear from customers firsthand³⁵.
• Vary who you talk to based on your outcome, such as prospects for acquisition or churned customers for retention⁶.

02Run the interview

• Separate your research questions (what you want to learn) from your interview questions (what you actually ask)².
• Ask about the last specific instance of a behavior, rather than what people typically do or would do in the future⁴⁵.
• Use temporal prompts like asking what happened next to move from generalizations to specifics⁵.
• Let participants do most of the talking, and respect what they care about most rather than forcing them into your script²⁴.
• Don't pitch your product or evaluate solution ideas; that is a usability or assumption test, not a customer interview¹⁴.
• Practice active listening: reflect back what you heard and ask clarifying questions instead of filling gaps with assumptions¹⁰.

03Synthesize afterward

• Write a one-page snapshot per interview capturing quotes, context, an experience map, and opportunities, then look across interviews for patterns¹⁵.