methodatlas
Session Builder

Plan my session

Plan a concrete work block with agenda, roles, preparation, and a copyable result artifact.

Method session30-60 min per interview, plus 30 min synthesis per interviewWorkshop or asyncInterview Notes

Session: Opportunity Interview

The plan translates the method into a concrete facilitated work block. Your inputs flow directly into the session brief and work artifact.

Derived automatically

Method session with 5-12 Interviews. The plan uses the existing method logic and the runsheet.

Runsheet
Participation logic
Team round, shared work and alignment

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome logic
Finish artifact

The session works directly toward Interview Notes. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

  1. 1

    Phase 1: Interview preparation

    10-15 min

    Review the guide, make personal assumptions explicit (for example, "I expect Sabine to say X") to challenge them during the interview. Start recording, request consent. Hint: Without assumptions in the interview, you only hear confirmation. If you write them down, you also hear the unexpected.

    FacilitatorInterview Notes
  2. 2

    Phase 2: Warm-up and context

    5-10 min

    Start with concrete situations from the person's daily work. Ask: "Tell me about your last workday where topic X mattered." Do not ask hypothesis-driven questions. Hint: Concrete past situations are more reliable than hypothetical questions ("Would you use X?"). The latter is sales-oriented rather than discovery-oriented.

    FacilitatorOpportunity Themes
  3. 3

    Phase 3: Explore pain points and jobs

    20-30 min

    Ask deeper: what was frustrating, what worked, which workarounds were used, what did it cost (time, money, stress). Use standard follow-up prompts such as "Tell me more" and "What do you mean by that?" Hint: Every "always," "never," and "everyone" invites more precise follow-up. What does "always" mean in numbers? When was the last time it happened?

    FacilitatorCustomer Quotes
  4. 4

    Phase 4: Alternatives and significance

    10-15 min

    Ask for existing alternatives: what does the person do today to solve the problem? How satisfied are they? What are the trade-offs? What if the problem were not solved? Hint: Alternatives reveal true alternatives. If the person says "I do nothing," the problem is either minor or they have given up.

    FacilitatorInterview Notes
  5. 5

    Phase 5: Closing and immediate notes

    5-10 min

    Restate the top takeaways in the person's own words and validate. Thank them. Immediately after the interview, add notes and mark the three most important quotes with timestamps. Hint: Notes not extended within 30 min lose half their substance. Group synthesis should start only after multiple interviews.

    OwnerOpportunity Themes
  6. 6

    Publish artifact

    10 min

    Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients.

    OwnerInterview Notes
Usable artifact

Session Brief

For invitations, boards, tickets, PR descriptions, or workshop notes.

session-brief.md

Session Brief: Opportunity Interview

Goal

Artifact: Interview Notes

Working Question

Which situations, blockers, and coping strategies indicate whether the opportunity hypothesis is real and relevant for the target group?

Context

Opportunity hypothesis as one sentence; target segment with persona (for example Sabine, solo tax advisor, 7 employees, urban area); exclusion criteria; incentive or honorarium; legal consent.

Setup

  • Format: Method session
  • Duration: 30-60 min per interview, plus 30 min synthesis per interview
  • Mode: Workshop or async
  • Participants: A discovery-experienced interviewer; one note-taker (or transcription tool); recruiter who fills calendar slots; synthesis team of 2-4 people for pattern detection after interviews.
  • Owner: A discovery-experienced interviewer
  • Participation mode: Team round, shared work and alignment
  • Outcome logic: Finish artifact

Participation Logic

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome Logic

The session works directly toward Interview Notes. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

Interview guide with 5-8 open questions; recording tool (with consent); notes template; shared recruiting profile; calendar slots for interviews and synthesis.

Preparation

Keep the guide open, avoid closed questions at the start. Present recording notice and consent at the beginning. Copy one notes template per interview in advance.

Agenda

  1. Phase 1: Interview preparation (10-15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Review the guide, make personal assumptions explicit (for example, "I expect Sabine to say X") to challenge them during the interview. Start recording, request consent. Hint: Without assumptions in the interview, you only hear confirmation. If you write them down, you also hear the unexpected. Output: Interview Notes

  2. Phase 2: Warm-up and context (5-10 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Start with concrete situations from the person's daily work. Ask: "Tell me about your last workday where topic X mattered." Do not ask hypothesis-driven questions. Hint: Concrete past situations are more reliable than hypothetical questions ("Would you use X?"). The latter is sales-oriented rather than discovery-oriented. Output: Opportunity Themes

  3. Phase 3: Explore pain points and jobs (20-30 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Ask deeper: what was frustrating, what worked, which workarounds were used, what did it cost (time, money, stress). Use standard follow-up prompts such as "Tell me more" and "What do you mean by that?" Hint: Every "always," "never," and "everyone" invites more precise follow-up. What does "always" mean in numbers? When was the last time it happened? Output: Customer Quotes

  4. Phase 4: Alternatives and significance (10-15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Ask for existing alternatives: what does the person do today to solve the problem? How satisfied are they? What are the trade-offs? What if the problem were not solved? Hint: Alternatives reveal true alternatives. If the person says "I do nothing," the problem is either minor or they have given up. Output: Interview Notes

  5. Phase 5: Closing and immediate notes (5-10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Restate the top takeaways in the person's own words and validate. Thank them. Immediately after the interview, add notes and mark the three most important quotes with timestamps. Hint: Notes not extended within 30 min lose half their substance. Group synthesis should start only after multiple interviews. Output: Opportunity Themes

  6. Publish artifact (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients. Output: Interview Notes

Closeout

  • Update result artifact: Interview Notes
  • Define location, version, and review recipients.
  • Define owner, next step, and review date.
Usable artifact

Work artifact

Pre-filled starting point based on the matching template.

work-artifact.md

Interview Notes: Opportunity Interview

Working Question

Which situations, blockers, and coping strategies indicate whether the opportunity hypothesis is real and relevant for the target group?

Context

Opportunity hypothesis as one sentence; target segment with persona (for example Sabine, solo tax advisor, 7 employees, urban area); exclusion criteria; incentive or honorarium; legal consent.

Participants

  • Owner: A discovery-experienced interviewer
  • Participants: A discovery-experienced interviewer; one note-taker (or transcription tool); recruiter who fills calendar slots; synthesis team of 2-4 people for pattern detection after interviews.

Input

Interview guide with 5-8 open questions; recording tool (with consent); notes template; shared recruiting profile; calendar slots for interviews and synthesis.

Template

Opportunity Interview Working Template

Goal

Explores situations, needs, and opportunities without selling a solution too early.

Context

When and for what do we use this method?

Input

Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?

Execution

Short notes along the runsheet.

Output artifacts

  • Interview Notes:
  • Opportunity Themes:
  • Customer Quotes:

Assumptions and open questions

  • ...

Decision / Next step

Owner, date, and success signal.

Completion Check

  • Interview Notes is complete enough for review:
  • Location:
  • Version / status:
  • Review by:
  • Next step:

Next Step

  • Review result
  • Mark open questions
  • Schedule review or decision
Template base

Opportunity Interview Working Template

View templateCompact working template for Opportunity Interview with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
markdown

opportunity-interview-working-template.md

Compact working template for Opportunity Interview with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.

Opportunity Interview Working Template

Goal

Explores situations, needs, and opportunities without selling a solution too early.

Context

When and for what do we use this method?

Input

Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?

Execution

Short notes along the runsheet.

Output artifacts

  • Interview Notes:
  • Opportunity Themes:
  • Customer Quotes:

Assumptions and open questions

  • ...

Decision / Next step

Owner, date, and success signal.

Ready to use when
  • Working question, owner, and target artifact are visible.
  • The result fits Interview Notes.
  • One folder per discovery wave with date and hypothesis. Keep synthesis as a living document; update patterns with each new interview. Mark old hypotheses with status (confirmed, disproven, modified).
  • Open questions are noted as follow-ups.
  • The next review or decision point is scheduled.
ProfileRunsheet