interview

name	interview
description	Use when onboarding a new product/project. Progressive interview to understand purpose, vision, north star, and competitive landscape.

Interview Skill

Progressive onboarding through structured discovery conversation.

When to Use

• Starting a new product or project.
• Joining an existing product that lacks documented context.
• Context has changed significantly and needs refreshing.

Workflow

Phase 1: Purpose & Vision

1. Ask: "What problem does this product/organization solve? Who suffers without it?"
2. Ask: "What does success look like in 3 years? What would change in the world?"
3. Ask: "What will you never do, even if it would be profitable?" (ethical boundaries)
4. Synthesize into a purpose statement. Validate with the user.

Phase 2: Users & Jobs

5. Ask: "Who are your primary users? Describe a specific person."
6. Ask: "What are they trying to accomplish? What job are they hiring your product to do?"
7. Map JTBD (functional, emotional, social) per user type.
8. Ask: "What workarounds do they currently use?"

Phase 3: North Star & Metrics

9. Ask: "What is the single metric that best indicates you're fulfilling your purpose?"
10. Ask: "What leading indicators predict movement in that metric?"
11. Construct a north star framework: metric + input metrics.

Phase 4: Landscape & Strategy

12. Ask: "Who else solves this problem? How are you different?"
13. Ask: "What are you betting on strategically right now?"
14. Ask: "What is your biggest uncertainty or risk?"
15. Sketch initial Wardley map positioning if sufficient context exists.

Phase 5: Current State

16. Ask: "What has been tried and failed? What did you learn?"
17. Ask: "What's the team structure? How do decisions get made?"
18. Ask: "What are the immediate priorities?"

Output

• Purpose statement
• JTBD map per user type
• North star metric + input metrics
• Strategic context summary
• Initial opportunity areas (from what was shared, not assumed)

Theory Citations

• Sinek: Start with Why (purpose)
• Christensen: Jobs to Be Done
• Torres: Continuous Discovery Habits (opportunity identification)
• Wardley: Wardley Mapping (landscape)
• Cagan: Empowered (vision, strategy)