Purpose
When the picture of the problem still needs to become solid, it asks about real situations and consequences. It separates genuine suffering from mere interest in a solution.
Product Discovery Research method
Problem Interview
Shows which real problem matters enough to a target group that they already act on it.
A Problem Interview investigates whether a suspected difficulty actually occurs in a target group’s life and examines consequences, alternatives and effort already spent.
Which real problem matters enough to this target group that they already act on it?
- Participants
- 5-12 Interviews participants
- Time
- 30–45 minutes conversation plus 15 minutes analysis.
Context
Context
Clarify purpose and consent; explore role, workflow and last relevant occasion.
Incident
Incident
Reconstruct a specific incident with trigger, obstacle, frequency context and consequences.
Alternatives
Alternatives
Explore workarounds, existing solutions and effort actually invested.
Synthesis
Synthesis
Relate evidence, counterevidence and open assumptions separately to the hypothesis.
Compare evidence and counterevidence by segment; recruit next around unresolved contradictions.
A good fit when
Before choosing a solution, when problem, segment or urgency remain uncertain.
Ideal for
- Early Discovery
- Startup Validation
- Problem Framing
Not good for
- Feature usability tests
- Customers without relevant experience
Outputs
Problem profile
Problem profile with concrete incidents, consequences, alternatives and counterevidence.
Assessment and next cases
The review interprets the relevance of the problem qualitatively and identifies suitable cases for further interviews. Its conclusions apply to the experiences examined.
Problem Interview· worksheet
Fictional example
A Problem Interview investigates whether a suspected difficulty actually occurs in a target group’s life and examines consequences, alternatives and effort already spent.
Segment and hypothesis
What problem is suspected for whom? Which finding would contradict it?
Fictional: part-time instructors lose time reconciling changing course rooms. Counterevidence would be an already reliable, effortless process.
Incident and consequences
Document the latest incident, sequence, consequences and basis for estimates.
P07 received a room change by email on Monday, noticed it only on arrival and recalls starting ten minutes late. The preceding week went smoothly.
Alternatives and effort
What is currently done, paid for, worked around or deliberately tolerated?
P07 checks email before leaving; no tool purchased. This change arrived after departure. Timely change information matters more than another calendar view.
Evidence and next case
What supports or weakens the hypothesis? Which alternative explanation and gap remain?
The incident supports a notification problem, not yet a recurring reconciliation problem. Next case: an instructor with frequent changes; also examine change timing and channel.
All example details are fictional and illustrate the application.
First step
Write the problem hypothesis internally; recruit people with relevant experience.
Deep dive
How it works
It explores triggers, workarounds, and impacts and turns them into a readable problem profile. The interview guide deliberately holds back the solution so the real friction, frequency, and urgency of the problem remain recognizable.
In detail
Problem Interviews work because, before any solution, they check whether a relevant problem is actually experienced, understood, and felt to be serious enough. Good use does not look for confirmation of its own hypothesis but for frequency, context, and consequence of the problem. This reveals whether a pain point is truly worth prioritizing or only looks big in the team's imagination.
Facilitation
Formulate open questions about situations, triggers, and past workarounds so the conversation does not turn to wishlist features. The conversation becomes valuable as soon as concrete stories reveal more than opinions about hypothetical solutions. In the end, recurring problems, strong quotes, and open validation questions should be cleanly separated.
The method guide walks execution through 4 phases, timing, 4 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.
Open method guideYour perspective
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Sources and topics
Artifact templates
Problem Interview: WorksheetWrite the problem hypothesis internally; recruit people with relevant experience.markdown
Problem Interview: WorksheetWrite the problem hypothesis internally; recruit people with relevant experience.
markdownproblem-interview-working-template.md
Write the problem hypothesis internally; recruit people with relevant experience.
Problem Interview: Worksheet
Question
To be confirmed
Desired outcome
To be confirmed
Scope
Complete cycle Time: 30–45 minutes conversation plus 15 minutes analysis.
Complete this worksheet on paper or in your own document during the work.
Preparation for this scope
Method setup
- Materials: Neutral guide, evidence record, recruitment criteria.
- Roles: Target participant, interviewer, note-taker.
- Advance information: Write the problem hypothesis internally; recruit people with relevant experience.
- Overall time needed: 30–45 minutes conversation plus 15 minutes analysis.
- Setup: Keep the hypothesis visible internally; organise notes by incident, consequence and alternative. Keep solution materials outside the conversation.
Prepare for the work steps
Context: Context
- Segment criteria
Incident: Incident
- Specific occasion
Alternatives: Alternatives
- Problem incident
Synthesis: Synthesis
- Notes and hypothesis
Problem Interview· worksheet
Segment and hypothesis
What problem is suspected for whom? Which finding would contradict it?
...
Incident and consequences
Document the latest incident, sequence, consequences and basis for estimates.
...
Alternatives and effort
What is currently done, paid for, worked around or deliberately tolerated?
...
Evidence and next case
What supports or weakens the hypothesis? Which alternative explanation and gap remain?
...
Answer the prompts with your own information. Explicitly mark unknowns and assumptions.
Ash Maurya: Interview zu Running Lean
Context: Context
Expected artifact: Context profile
Is the person speaking from experience?
Entry:
...
- Is the person speaking from experience?
Incident: Incident
Expected artifact: Problem incident
Is there a contrasting case without the problem?
Entry:
...
- Is there a contrasting case without the problem?
Alternatives: Alternatives
Expected artifact: Alternatives profile
Are effort and switching barriers concrete?
Entry:
...
- Are effort and switching barriers concrete?
Synthesis: Synthesis
Expected artifact: Problem profile
Could counterevidence change our direction?
Entry:
...
- Could counterevidence change our direction?
Open questions and next steps
...
Method guide: https://methodatlas.meierhoff-systems.de/en/methods/problem-interview/run-sheet
Alternatives and neighbors
Fitting alternatives with decision guidance, followed by other related methods.
Product Discovery
Opportunity Interview
Instead of Problem Interview, choose Opportunity Interview when you want to explore needs and opportunities before searching for solutions.
Product Discovery
Concierge MVP
Personally guides early users through the service and shows which steps should later be automated.
Product Discovery
Opportunity Scoring
Moves customer problem, solution idea, and evidence toward a concrete result through "collect outcomes from discovery", "define an importance scale", and "calculate and sort the score".
Product Discovery
Fake Door Test
Measures real interest in an idea that has not been built yet, through clicks, sign-ups, or other interest signals.
Product Discovery
MVP Test Matrix
Moves customer problem, solution idea, and evidence toward a concrete result through "list assumptions", "map assumptions to dimensions", and "derive the test plan".
Product Discovery
Riskiest Assumption Test
Moves customer problem, solution idea, and evidence toward a concrete result through "collect assumptions explicitly", "rate uncertainty and leverage for each assumption", and "decide to pivot, persevere, or stop".
Constraints and origin
MediumWorkshop + async30-60 min je Interview
Profile
- Method form
- Research method
- Participants
- 5-12 Interviews
- Time
- 30-60 min je Interview
- Maturity
- Established
- Origin
- Praxisgemeinschaft
Next up: Solution Interview