# Question categories (Step 2)

Ask in this order, adapt based on answers.

## 1. Problem & scope (5–8)

- What problem does this solve?
- Who experiences this problem?
- How painful is it today (workarounds)?
- What's in scope vs explicitly out of scope?
- Is this a new capability or improving existing?

## 2. Users & stakeholders (4–6)

- Primary users? Secondary users (admin, support)?
- What do users need to accomplish?
- How do they do it today?
- Accessibility requirements?

## 3. Success criteria (5–8)

- What does "done" look like?
- How will users know it works?
- Performance / scale requirements?
- Compliance / regulatory requirements?

## 4. Constraints (4–6)

- Technical (must use X, can't use Y)?
- Business (timeline, budget, dependencies)?
- Compatibility (browsers, devices, APIs)?
- Security (auth, data protection)?

## 5. Edge cases & failures (6–10)

- Invalid input behavior?
- Offline / disconnected?
- External service down?
- User cancels mid-operation?
- Error states and communication?
- Rate-limiting / abuse concerns?

## 6. Data & state (4–6)

- What data is needed? Where does it come from?
- Effects on existing data?
- Retention / deletion?
- Privacy considerations?

## 7. Unknowns & risks (3–5)

- Most uncertain area?
- What could derail this?
- What needs research first?
- Dependencies on other work?

## Interview guidelines

- Ask non-obvious questions; assume technical competence.
- Dig deep on answers; follow up on interesting points.
- Surface hidden complexity (things the user might not have considered).
- Probe contradictions when answers don't align.
- Use multi-select for non-exclusive options.
- Stop when complete — don't pad.
