Conducting Interviews
Master the art of asking questions, listening actively, and uncovering insights in real-time
Your Progress
Section 3 of 5Listen 80%, Talk 20%
The hardest part of interviewing is shutting up. You prepared questions, you have a theory, you want to explain your product. Resist. Your job is to listen. If you're talking more than 20% of the time, you're doing it wrong. The best interviewers ask one question and let the user talk for 10 minutes.
The Interview Flow
1. Warm-up (5min)
Build rapport. Make them comfortable. Remind: no wrong answers.
2. Context (10min)
Understand their workflow. How they do things today.
3. Deep Dive (25min)
Explore pain points. Ask "why" repeatedly. Chase interesting topics.
4. Wrap-up (5min)
Ask what you missed. Get referrals. Thank them.
Active Listening Techniques
These techniques help you listen better and uncover deeper insights:
The Pause
Count to 3 after they finish. Silence invites them to elaborate.
User: "I tried it but it didn't work." [You: count 1...2...3...] User: "Actually, the problem was..."
Echo Back
Repeat the last few words as a question to dig deeper.
User: "The process is too complicated." You: "Too complicated?" User: [Explains what they mean]
Summarize & Confirm
Periodically summarize what you heard to ensure understanding.
You: "So if I understand correctly, you struggle with X because of Y. Is that right?"
Follow the Energy
When they get excited or frustrated, explore that emotion.
User: [voice changes] "And then this happened!" You: "You seem frustrated about that - tell me more."
Interview Scenarios Practice
Practice handling common interview situations. Choose your response and see if it's the right approach:
Situation:
User gives a vague answer
"It's just not great, you know?"
How do you respond?
Your Silence Is Their Space to Think
When you ask a question and they pause to think, DO NOT fill that silence. Count to 3 in your head. Count to 5. Most interviewers panic and rephrase the question or move on. Bad move. Silence is uncomfortable, but that discomfort makes users dig deeper and share more. The gold is in the pause.
Key Takeaways
- •Listen 80%, talk 20%. If you're speaking more than that, you're doing it wrong.
- •Use The Pause (count to 3 after they finish), Echo Back (repeat last words), and Follow the Energy (chase emotions).
- •When users give vague answers, always dig deeper with "Tell me more about that."
- •When users design solutions for you, redirect back to the problem: "What problem are you trying to solve?"