User Interview Playbook

Find product-market fit faster through user interviews — the same framework HeyGen used across 937 interviews to reach PMF. Includes ready-to-use question ba...

Security Scan

This is an instruction-only user-interview playbook whose requested scope and artifacts match its description; it does not request credentials or install code, but follow-up privacy/consent handling is important when you use it.

Purpose & Capability

The name and description (user interview playbook / question banks / templates) match the SKILL.md content. The skill requests no binaries, environment variables, installs, or code files — which is appropriate for a guidance/playbook skill.

Instruction Scope

The instructions stay within the stated purpose (how to run interviews, question banks, templates, debriefs). They explicitly recommend mandatory video + screen recording (with consent) and multi-channel outreach and include an external GitHub link and a Telegram contact. These are reasonable for an interview playbook but carry privacy and operational concerns: recordings and screen shares can capture sensitive user data, the skill gives no guidance on secure storage/retention, and it links to an external Telegram handle (personal contact) without provenance. Consider adding explicit consent wording, data retention/handling steps, and guidance on redacting PII.

Install Mechanism

No install spec and no code files — instruction-only. That minimizes on-disk risk; nothing will be downloaded or executed by the skill itself.

Credentials

The skill requests no environment variables, credentials, or config paths. There are external links (GitHub repo and Telegram contact) but no secret/credential access is requested or implied by the content.

Persistence & Privilege

always is false and the skill does not request persistent/system privileges. It's a passive, user-invoked guidance doc and does not attempt to modify other skills or system-wide settings.

Assessment

This is a content-only playbook (no code) and appears internally consistent with its purpose. Before using it: (1) ensure you obtain explicit, documented consent before recording or screen-sharing and make that consent revocable; (2) decide and document how recordings and notes will be stored, who can access them, how long they will be retained, and how PII/credentials will be redacted; (3) verify the external GitHub repo and the Telegram contact if you plan to use them (they are third-party links, not part of the skill code); (4) avoid asking interviewees for any credentials or sensitive data during sessions. If you need stronger assurances, review the linked GitHub repo (if available) and confirm the author's identity before outreach.

"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