Common Interview Mistakes
Learn to recognize and avoid the mistakes that ruin interviews and lead to bad insights
Your Progress
Section 5 of 5The 7 Deadly Interview Sins
Even experienced interviewers make these mistakes. They kill insights and lead to building the wrong thing. Recognize them. Avoid them. Your product depends on it.
1. 🎯 Leading Questions
Bad: "Don\'t you think this feature would be useful?"
Good: "What do you think about this feature?"
2. 🧠 Confirmation Bias
You only hear what confirms your theory. When they say something contradictory, you dismiss it.
Fix: Actively look for evidence against your hypothesis.
3. 💬 Talking Too Much
If you\'re talking more than 20% of the time, you\'re doing it wrong.
Fix: Ask a question, then shut up. Count to 5 in silence.
4. 🌊 Surface-Level Questions
Stopping at first answer. Not asking "why" or "tell me more."
Fix: Ask "why" at least 3 times. Dig deeper.
5. 🔮 Asking Hypotheticals
Bad: "Would you pay $10/month for this?"
Good: "Tell me about the last time you paid for a similar tool."
6. 💡 Pitching Too Early
You start explaining your solution instead of understanding their problem.
Fix: Save pitching for the end, if at all.
7. 📝 Poor Note-Taking
Not writing quotes. Not capturing context. Trusting your memory.
Fix: Write exact quotes in quote marks. Review same day.
Spot the Mistakes
Read these interview scenarios and identify what went wrong:
You're interviewing a potential user about their project management workflow.
What mistakes were made? (Select all that apply)
Assess Your Interview Skills
Think about your last interview and honestly rate yourself on these practices:
I let the user talk at least 80% of the time
I asked "why" multiple times to dig deeper
I avoided leading questions or suggesting answers
I asked about specific past behaviors, not hypotheticals
I followed up on emotional signals (frustration, excitement)
I used silence to let them think and elaborate
I asked for examples when they made general statements
I avoided pitching or explaining my solution
The Most Dangerous Mistake
Thinking you\'re immune to these mistakes. Everyone makes them - beginners and experts. The difference? Good interviewers catch themselves and course-correct. After each interview, review: Did I talk too much? Did I lead them? Did I dig deep enough? Self-awareness is the antidote.
Key Takeaways
- •Avoid leading questions. Ask "What do you think?" not "Don\'t you think...?"
- •Fight confirmation bias by actively looking for evidence against your hypothesis.
- •Ask about past behavior, not future hypotheticals. "Last time you..." beats "Would you..."
- •After each interview, review: Did I talk too much? Lead them? Dig deep? Self-awareness is key.