The thinking behind the questions
Fieldgyde doesn't invent new interview theory. We translate proven methodologies into scripts you can actually use, so you get better conversations without reading three books first.
The problem with most interview questions
Most people know they should "talk to customers." But knowing you should do something and knowing how are different things.
Generic questions lead to generic answers. Leading questions lead to false validation. Hypothetical questions lead to opinions that don't predict behavior.
The result? Months spent building features nobody wanted, based on conversations that felt productive but taught you nothing.
Good interview methodology exists. It's been refined over decades by researchers, product people, and founders who learned the hard way. But it's scattered across books, courses, and tribal knowledge that takes years to absorb.
What the scripts are built on
Fieldgyde's scripts are informed by established methodologies in customer research and product discovery:
Jobs-to-be-Done
Understanding what people are trying to accomplish (the "job" they hire a product to do) rather than their demographic profile or stated preferences. This shapes how we frame questions around outcomes and context, not features.
Customer Development
The practice of systematically testing assumptions through customer conversations before building. We focus on questions that surface real problems and buying triggers, not just interest.
The Mom Test
Rob Fitzpatrick's practical framework for asking questions that even your mom can't lie to you about. His core principles (focus on their life, not your idea; ask about the past, not the future; talk less, listen more) are woven throughout our question logic.
Behavioral Research
Decades of social science showing that what people do predicts their future behavior far better than what they say they would do. Every Fieldgyde script prioritizes questions about past actions over hypothetical scenarios.
How these ideas become questions
We don't just name-drop methodologies. Here's how they translate into the scripts you get:
| Principle | What it means | How it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Past over future | People can accurately recall what they did; they can't predict what they'll do | "Tell me about the last time..." instead of "Would you ever..." |
| Behavior over opinion | Actions reveal truth; opinions reveal social desirability | "What did you try?" instead of "What do you think about...?" |
| Specific over general | Concrete examples surface real constraints and motivations | "Walk me through exactly how..." instead of "How do you usually...?" |
| Their life, not your idea | You learn nothing by pitching; you learn everything by listening | Questions that explore their world before introducing solutions |
| Exploration over confirmation | Seeking disconfirming evidence protects you from expensive mistakes | Scripts that dig into alternatives, workarounds, and why they haven't solved this yet |
Past over future
People can accurately recall what they did; they can't predict what they'll do
"Tell me about the last time..." instead of "Would you ever..."
Behavior over opinion
Actions reveal truth; opinions reveal social desirability
"What did you try?" instead of "What do you think about...?"
Specific over general
Concrete examples surface real constraints and motivations
"Walk me through exactly how..." instead of "How do you usually...?"
Their life, not your idea
You learn nothing by pitching; you learn everything by listening
Questions that explore their world before introducing solutions
Exploration over confirmation
Seeking disconfirming evidence protects you from expensive mistakes
Scripts that dig into alternatives, workarounds, and why they haven't solved this yet
Translation, not invention
You could learn all of this yourself. Read the books. Take the courses. Run fifty interviews and learn from your mistakes. Or you could start with a script that already embeds these principles, adapted to your specific research context, and learn as you go.
Context-awareness
A founder validating a new market needs different questions than a designer testing a feature concept. Generic templates ignore this; we don't.
Explanations built in
Every question tells you why it's there and what you're trying to learn. You build skills while you work.
Fast, without cutting corners
What takes a day of preparation now takes ten minutes. No corners cut on methodology.
Practical structure
A sequence that flows naturally in conversation, with follow-ups that help you dig deeper when you hit something interesting.
Want to go deeper?
These are the sources that shaped our thinking. We recommend all of them:
-
The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick — The most practical guide to customer conversations
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Competing Against Luck by Clayton Christensen — Jobs-to-be-Done explained
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The Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank — The original customer development manual
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Interviewing Users by Steve Portigal — Deep expertise on research technique
Fieldgyde doesn't replace learning. But it gives you a running start.