Story-Based Interviewing
Story-based interviewing is a customer research method where teams keep interviews grounded in specific instances of past behavior rather than asking speculative or general questions.
How does story-based interviewing work?
Instead of asking customers what they typically do or what they think about something, story-based interviewing prompts customers to share specific, memorable stories about real experiences:
- Not this: "Tell me about your experience with Netflix"
- This: "Tell me about the last time you watched Netflix"
When customers share specific stories about actual behavior, teams get reports of what people actually do—not what they think they do or aspire to do. This matters because cognitive biases interfere when we ask about general or future behavior, causing people to overestimate, forget exceptions, and report aspirational rather than actual behavior.
What do you get from story-based interviewing?
Story-based interviewing helps teams uncover the context missing from feature requests and stakeholder feedback:
- Goals — What customers are trying to accomplish
- Context — When and where needs arise in the customer's life
- Actual behavior — What customers really do (versus what they say they do)
- Opportunities — Unmet needs, pain points, and desires that emerge from the stories
Unlike speculative questions that trigger fast, System 1 responses prone to error, specific stories about memorable past behavior yield reliable accounts of actual behavior. This context helps teams make better daily product decisions.
What is the interviewer's role in story-based interviewing?
Collecting specific stories is a skill that takes practice. When prompted with "Tell me about the last time you..." customers typically give short answers like "It was last night after dinner." The interviewer's job is to excavate the full story by:
- Helping participants remember and elaborate on their experience
- Recognizing when participants flip-flop between the specific instance and generalities
- Gently guiding participants back to the specific story
- Using memory recall techniques to help participants remember details
- Practicing active listening to avoid misinterpreting the story
The goal is to get the participant talking while the interviewer guides the conversation to stay grounded in specific, memorable past behavior.
Learn more:
- Story-Based Customer Interviews Uncover Much-Needed Context
- Customer Interviews: How to Recruit, What to Ask, and How to Synthesize What You Learn
Related terms:
- Customer Stories
- Customer Interviewing
- Interview Snapshot
- Generative Research
Last Updated: October 25, 2025