Presented by Jim Semick at ProductCamp SoCal October 2015

1. Amazing Interviews:
Questions Product Managers
Should Ask Customers
Jim Semick @jimsemick
@productplan

2. A few well-phrased questions
can yield fantastic customer
insights.

3. What makes a
great question?
Open Ended
Uncovers Value, Pain, Motivation
Leads to More Insights
Challenges Your Assumptions

4. The answers will guide the features you
include on your product roadmap

5. 12
Awesome Questions

6. “Why?”#1

7. “How do you do that today?”
#2

8. “How do you know you’ve had a
successful (day, month, year)?”#3

9. “How do you feel about…”
#4
…your current solution?
…the feature?
…the price?

10. “What’s the most frustrating
thing about…”
#5
…the current solution
…a feature
…your day

11. “What do you wish you could do
with (a product, a task, a feature)
that you can’t do today?”
#6

12. “How would your (day, job,
task) be different if you had
this?”
#7

13. “If you solve that problem,
how much money will you
save or make?”
#8

14. “Can you give me an example?”
#9

15. “If this were available
today would you
buy/use it?”
#10

16. “Why would you
recommend our
solution to
others?”
#11

17. “Where does
solving this
problem fall on
your priority
list?”
#12

18. Interview Tips

19. Getting the Interview
It’s not a sales call.
What’s in it for them?
Be gracious.

20. Making Sense of the Interview
Eliminate false positives
Document quickly
Discuss immediately
Summarize if possible

21. Summary
Ask the right
questions.
Talk with your
customers more. It’s
never enough.
Challenge your
assumptions.
Use evidence from
customer interviews to
influence your
roadmap.

22. Thank you!
www.productplan.com
@productplan
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