Your First 10 User Interviews — A Simple Script

Your First 10 User Interviews — A Simple Script

Running interviews for the first time can feel scary:

• “What if I ask the wrong questions?”
• “What if there’s an awkward silence?”
• “How do I turn this into real product decisions?”

This guide gives you a simple, reusable script you can open next to your call and follow line by line.

1. Warm‑up (2–3 minutes)

Goal: relax both sides and understand who you’re talking to.

Questions:

• “Can you tell me a bit about your role and what your team does?”
• “How does your day typically start?”

Stay curious. Ask short follow‑ups like:

“Can you tell me more about that?”
“What does that look like in practice?”

2. Problem exploration (8–10 minutes)

Now you gently move toward the problem space your product touches.

Examples:

• “Walk me through the last time you [tried to collect feedback / shipped a new feature / handled a churn risk].”
• “What was the most frustrating part of that process?”
• “What have you already tried to fix it?”

Look for:

• Repeated pain
• Existing DIY solutions (spreadsheets, Notion, hacks)
• Emotional signals (“annoying”, “stressful”, “confusing”)

3. Current tools and workflows (5–7 minutes)

Ask:

• “Which tools are involved when you do this today?”
• “What’s working well with that setup?”
• “Where does it break down?”

This helps you see how a tool like FlagUp could fit instead of becoming “just another inbox”.

4. Solution reactions (5–7 minutes)

Only now do you talk about your product.

Keep it concrete:

• Show a short demo or a few screenshots
• Ask: “Which part looks most useful? Which part feels unnecessary?”
• “If this existed tomorrow, how would you use it in your week?”

Avoid:

• “Would you buy this?”
• “Do you like it?”

Instead:

“What would this replace in your current workflow?”

5. Wrap‑up and next steps (2 minutes)

Close with:

• “Is there anything I didn’t ask that I should have?”
• “Can I follow up when we ship an early version?”

Always thank them and, if possible, close the loop later when their feedback actually influences what you build.

How to use this script

1. Copy this markdown file into your own workspace.
2. Open it next to your video call.
3. Highlight or adapt the questions that fit your product best.

Over time, you’ll develop your own style — but this gives you a safe starting point for those first 10 conversations.