Let’s say a friend of ours plays the banjo. Weird, right? Everyone knows banjo players don’t have friends. And that’s the problem — he’s driven away most of his friends already with his tone-deaf, cacophonous plucking. If he plays at the folk festival this weekend, we may lose him forever.
(Yes, I speak from experience. I do play the banjo poorly and it is very loud.)
But what if we could find a way banjo players can keep playing without driving people away? Is there a market for a product that would silence a banjo for everyone but the player?
So we invent an earpiece for the musician that will allow only them to hear the banjo, sparing their friends and family the pain and suffering only banjos, accordions, and bagpipes can bring.
Our customer persona is obvious: friendless, mediocre banjo players. Now let’s steady our compass and navigate the questions.
Yes/No
A simple yes/no question.
Q: Do you play the banjo?
Useful only when needed to verify a particular point, such as establishing who we are talking to so we’re sure we’re interviewing the right persona.
A: Yes I do.
Forced Choice
A question with limited potential answers. Similar to a yes/no question, but potentially offering more options.
Q: How many times a day do your neighbors complain about your banjo playing?
Useful only when needed to verify a particular point or add a little detail. Note that a question like this would be based on information they already gave you — if you have not already established that the neighbors complain, then it would be a leading question built on your own assumption.
A: Every chance they get, both verbally and with thrown objects.