The Prototype Interview Template

Identify and improve your value proposition fit.

Prototype Jobs Questions

Assess if your prototype effectively addresses key customer jobs.

Prototype Pain Relievers Questions

Assess if your prototype effectively addresses key customer pains.

Prototype Gain Creators Questions

Assess if your prototype exceeds your customer's expectations.

Prototype Interview Example Transcript

Learn how to use the Prototype Interview Template.

Are your products and services struggling to create value for your customers?

Test your value proposition prototypes as hard as possible.

Are your experiments designed to test your value proposition frequently turning into generic customer interviews?

Keep the conversation focused on testing each element of your value proposition instead of customer segments with clearly structured value proposition interviews.

Do polite compliments often mask a lack of true validation?

Minimize the risk of accepting vague praise by asking for evidence and real experiences instead of just soft compliments.

Are you missing signs that your prototype truly addresses customer’s most important pains and gains?

Explore how the prototype impacts known customer pains and gains in each interview. This helps to detect whether the solution resonates with what matters most to your customers.

Are you struggling to identify improvements that will have the highest impact on customer value?

A structured debrief with ranking enhances clarity and helps you determining value proposition fit.

Are unstructured sessions wasting time on non-critical features?

Keep the discussion on core elements with time allocations and a guided question flow, to help your team gathering feedback that aligns with the tested customer segment elements.

Are you lacking value proposition fit because early prototype testing didn’t reveal any warning signs?

Reveal whether the solution truly creates value by rigorously testing the prototype against the customer’s most important needs and expectations — enabling teams to pivot or refine the value proposition before further investment.

Identify and Improve your Value Proposition Fit.

The Prototype Interview Template is for teams wanting to improve their interview skills.

Reduce the number of irrelevant interview questions.

Increase real insights connected to your hypothesis.

The Prototype Interview Template helps you structure your value proposition interviews. It is structured around three core areas—solution jobs, pain relievers, and gain creators—to help you uncover precisely what creates the biggest value for your customers.

Test your value proposition exactly against your previously tested customer segment to improve your value proposition fit.

Use the template for any verbal experiments with artefacts to test a hypothesis around your value proposition (e.g., datasheet, explainer video, brochure, clickable or life-size prototypes, 3D prints, mash-ups)

Download The Prototype Interview Template.

Test your value proposition prototypes as if you were wrong.

Download

You can use The Prototype Interview Template for free. Instead, I would appreciate your feedback after at least 15 interviews to help me create useful innovation tools!

This makes the Prototype Interview Template essential.

Focus on Value Creation

Test if your prototype’s pain relievers and gain creators deliver real value—beyond generic customer insights.

Enforce a Clear, Repeatable Structure

By segmenting interviews into prototype jobs, pain relievers, and gain creators, it ensures every conversation is focused.

Generate Actionable Insights

Move from vague compliments to concrete, prioritized feedback that drives iterative improvements of your value proposition.

Test Against your Customer Segment

The template rigorously challenges your value proposition, ensuring that your solution addresses tested and prioritised customer needs.

Minimize Bias

The systematic approach prevents non-specific praise from skewing the results, so you get data that truly matters.

Align Product Development with Customer Value

Link customer feedback directly to prototype features to keep your development efforts focused on what customers value most.

Download The Prototype Interview Template.

Test your value proposition prototypes as if you were wrong.

Download

You can use The Prototype Interview Template for free. Instead, I would appreciate your feedback after at least 15 interviews to help me create useful innovation tools!

Usage instructions

1. Define the roles

Clarify the roles within your team for a sequence of interview sessions. Here, you will find guidance on interview roles and responsibilities.

2. Familiarise with interview best practices

Review the most critical interview best practices with your team.

If you feel comfortable conducting customer interviews, choose the more comprehensive list of best practices.

3. Prepare the template & conduct interviews

Select the questions based on your hypothesis and the results of your previously tested and ranked customer’s jobs, pains and gains. Complete the script by adding custom questions.

4. Debrief and adapt

Debrief with your Note-taker and your Observer right after the interview to identify if adjustments of the questions are needed.

Feedback on the Prototype Interview Template

Thank you for using the Customer Interview Template. I would appreciate your feedback to help me create useful innovation tools!

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How would you rate your interviewing skills BEFORE you started to use the template?

Beginner – I had little to no experience in conducting interviews		Intermediate – I regularly conducted interviews, but not systematically		World class – my practice is used in a case study for others to learn
Beginner – I had little to no experience in conducting interviewsItem #1 Beginner – I had little to no experience in conducting interviews	Item #1	Intermediate – I regularly conducted interviews, but not systematicallyItem #1 Intermediate – I regularly conducted interviews, but not systematically	Item #1	World class – my practice is used in a case study for others to learnItem #1 World class – my practice is used in a case study for others to learn

In how many interviews was the Prototype Interview Template used?

< 15
Between 15 – 50
50+

Did the Prototype Interview Template help improve your interviewing skills?

Not at all – No improvement in my interviewing practices		A little – It helped to structure and focus the conversation		A lot – interviews are structured, focussed, and efficiently extract insights
Not at all – No improvement in my interviewing practicesItem #1 Not at all – No improvement in my interviewing practices	Item #1	A little – It helped to structure and focus the conversationItem #1 A little – It helped to structure and focus the conversation	Item #1	A lot – interviews are structured, focussed, and efficiently extract insightsItem #1 A lot – interviews are structured, focussed, and efficiently extract insights

you the rate

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