Product Management 101: #6 Switch Interviews

Switch interviews is Product Discovery method developed by?Bob Moesta?and?Chris Spiek. Switch interviews detail the timeline of a recent purchase or change. First, we go back to the beginning when the person thought they had found a solution to their problem. Then, we jump ahead to when they decided to try something different. We walk through the steps they took to find this new solution and the pain points that drove them there. Switch Interviews help us understand the problem in the context of a person's motivation and desire to fix it.

Switch interviews focus on a single story—in this case, the story of how they realized that they had an unmet need and discovered your product.

You’re trying to recreate the timeline leading up to using the product:

1. First thought: The initial moment when a change is needed.
2. Passively looking: The prospect notices options, but isn’t actively seeking change.
3. Actively looking: The prospect starts investing time and energy into finding a solution. The second event transitions the prospect into making a purchase decision.
4. Deciding: The prospect weighs alternatives. This stage ends with a purchase decision, or the act of signing up.
5. Consuming: After signing up or making a purchase, the user uses, and ideally gets value from the product.

The procedure of a switch interview looks the following:

1.Greetings (2 minutes): Here you conduct small talk to make each other feel more comfortable. Prior to the interview, you should research the prospect thoroughly when possible. Ask questions about their home city, hobbies, blog posts, or anything else that helps to get the conversation going.

2.Qualification (3 minutes): Ask questions to understand the role and situation of the user. Listen more than active talking.

Example questions:

• How would you describe your role as [role]?
• How to you define success?

3.Open-ended questions (20 minutes): Ask questions to understand the decision-making process of your prospect. Ask open-ended questions using "what", "why", "how" and dig deep.

Example questions:

• How did you first hear about [product]?
• What was going on in your life at this point in time?
• How do imagine that the [product] helps you?
• What was the reason to signup / buy?
• Which alternatives have you evaluated?
• How was life after using the [product]?

4.Closing (2 minutes): Close the interview by thanking the prospect.

#productmanagement?#productmanager?#product101?#businessagility?#productstrategy?#agile?#agileproductmanagement?#leanstartup?#leanux?#productgoal?#productowner?#productvision?#scrum

Subscribe to?https://lnkd.in/eqga-DuZ?for more product-related content.