Asking who, what, why, how, and when questions. Long discussion guides exist for a reason. They are easy to create, and they allow everyone to get their favorite questions answered. Unfortunately, they lead to overwhelmed interview participants and unreliable interview data. Ditch the discussion guide. Instead, generate a list of research questions (what you need to learn), and identify one or two story-based interview questions (what you’ll ask). Remember, a story-based interview question starts with, “Tell me about a specific time when…”
