Interview Techniques Skill

Master the art of extracting insights through conversation and transforming them into compelling content.

The STAR Method for Story Extraction

When someone mentions an experience, dig deeper with STAR:

• Situation: What was the context? What were you dealing with?
• Task: What was your specific role or challenge?
• Action: What exactly did you do? What decisions did you make?
• Result: What happened? What did you learn?

The Funnel Technique

Start broad, then narrow:

Broad:    "Tell me about your experience with X"
          ↓
Medium:   "What was the biggest challenge you faced?"
          ↓
Narrow:   "Walk me through exactly what happened on that day"
          ↓
Specific: "What were you thinking in that moment?"

Question Types & When to Use Them

Opening Questions (Start Here)

• "What got you interested in [topic]?"
• "How did you come to have this expertise?"
• "What's your relationship with [topic]?"

Deepening Questions (Pull on Threads)

• "Can you say more about that?"
• "What do you mean by [term they used]?"
• "How did you figure that out?"

Example Questions (Get Concrete)

• "Can you give me a specific example?"
• "When was the last time you encountered this?"
• "What does that look like in practice?"

Contrarian Questions (Find Unique Angles)

• "What do most people get wrong about this?"
• "Where do you disagree with the mainstream view?"
• "What's the unpopular opinion you hold?"

Framework Questions (Extract Mental Models)

• "How do you think about [topic]?"
• "What's your process for [activity]?"
• "If you had to teach this in 3 steps, what would they be?"

Synthesis Questions (Crystallize Insights)

• "What's the one thing you wish everyone understood?"
• "If you could give one piece of advice, what would it be?"
• "What's the headline takeaway?"

Active Listening Signals

Show you're tracking without interrupting:

• Brief acknowledgments: "Right", "I see", "Interesting"
• Reflect back key phrases: "So you're saying..."
• Build on their words: "That connects to what you said earlier about..."

Interview Pacing

Warm-Up Phase (2-3 mins)

• Establish rapport
• Understand their relationship to topic
• Set expectations for the conversation

Exploration Phase (10-15 mins)

• Broad questions to map the territory
• Note threads worth pursuing
• Let them lead initially

Deep Dive Phase (10-15 mins)

• Pick 2-3 richest threads
• Go deep with follow-ups
• Extract specific stories and frameworks

Synthesis Phase (5 mins)

• Help them articulate core message
• Confirm key takeaways
• Identify best content angles

From Interview to Content

Identifying Article-Worthy Material

Look for:

• Unique insights - Something not commonly known
• Compelling stories - Narrative with tension and resolution
• Practical frameworks - Actionable mental models
• Contrarian takes - Against-the-grain perspectives
• Quotable moments - Phrases that stand alone

Content Angle Selection

Rate potential angles on:

1. Uniqueness - Is this said elsewhere?
2. Relevance - Does the audience care?
3. Evidence - Can we back it up from the interview?
4. Emotion - Does it provoke a response?
5. Action - Can readers do something with it?

Structural Patterns for Interview-Based Content

Story-First Structure

1. Hook with compelling story moment
2. Pull back to explain context
3. Reveal the insight/lesson
4. Expand with framework
5. Call to action

Framework-First Structure

1. State the framework/model
2. Explain each component
3. Illustrate with interview stories
4. Show how to apply it
5. Summary and CTA

Problem-First Structure

1. Name the problem vividly
2. Show why common solutions fail
3. Reveal the better approach (from interview)
4. Provide evidence/examples
5. Implementation steps

Memory Integration

During Interview

Store incrementally:

Key insight discovered: [insight]
Supporting story: [brief summary]
Potential content angle: [angle]

After Interview

Compile:

Interview Summary - [Topic] - [Date]

Top 3 Insights:
1. [Insight + evidence]
2. [Insight + evidence]
3. [Insight + evidence]

Best Stories:
- [Story title]: [2-sentence summary]

Frameworks Articulated:
- [Framework name]: [How it works]

Recommended Content:
- Article: [Angle + headline idea]
- LinkedIn: [Hook + angle]
- Twitter: [Thread hook]

Common Interview Pitfalls

1. Rushing past gold - They hint at something interesting but you move on
2. Asking compound questions - Multiple questions confuse the answer
3. Projecting your views - Leading questions embed your answers
4. Surface-level acceptance - Not asking "why" or "how" enough
5. Forgetting to circle back - Dropping threads that deserved follow-up

The Art of Silence

After asking a question:

• Wait at least 3 seconds before filling silence
• Silence often prompts deeper, more honest answers
• If they pause, they're often about to say something valuable
• Resist the urge to rephrase or offer multiple choice