# Founder Interview Guide

Use this guide to learn about real past behavior, not to pitch or seek approval
for an idea. Obtain an appropriate consent basis and avoid collecting
unnecessary personal or sensitive data.

## Before the conversation

- Learning question:
- Intended segment:
- Source label:
- Date and note owner:
- Consent and note-use boundary:
- What would support, weaken, or falsify the assumption:

## Opening

Explain the purpose, duration, note-taking plan, and privacy boundary. Make clear
that the conversation is research, not a sales commitment.

## Questions

1. Tell me about the last time this situation occurred.
2. What triggered it, and what did you do first?
3. Which tools or people were involved?
4. What took the most time or created the most risk?
5. What happened as a consequence?
6. What workaround do you use now, and what is good about it?
7. What have you already tried to change?
8. Who decides whether to adopt or buy an alternative?
9. What would make a proposed change unacceptable?
10. May I ask a short follow-up later? Record the answer.

## After the conversation

Separate direct statements, observed behavior, and interviewer interpretation.
Record contradictions and unanswered questions. Never invent a quote or add the
participant to outreach without a valid consent basis.