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

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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.

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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

## 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

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