deep-interview

Original source / Raw SKILL.md

---
name: deep-interview
description: Conduct deep adaptive interviews to extract and organize knowledge into structured files and folders. Use when user says "interview me about X", "deep interview", "extract my knowledge", "build knowledge base from interview", "ask me questions about X", or wants to systematically capture expertise on any topic through guided questioning.
argument-hint: "<topic> [--output <path>] [--depth shallow|medium|deep]"
---

# Deep Interview

Conduct adaptive interviews that progressively extract knowledge and build organized knowledge bases in real-time.

## Core Loop

```
ASK -> LISTEN -> WRITE -> DEEPEN -> REPEAT
```

Each cycle: ask targeted questions, capture answers into files, identify gaps, go deeper. The knowledge base grows with every answer.

## Process

### 1. Initialize

Parse the topic from user input. Determine output path:
- If `--output <path>` provided: use that path
- If inside a project with CLAUDE.md: use project root or relevant subfolder
- Default: create `~/Documents/interviews/<topic>-<date>/`

Create the output directory and an `_interview-index.md` file:

```markdown
# Interview: <Topic>
**Date:** <today>
**Status:** In Progress
**Depth:** <shallow|medium|deep>

## Themes Discovered
(updated as interview progresses)

## Files Created
(updated as files are written)
```

### 2. Opening Round - Broad Context

Use AskUserQuestion to understand the landscape. Ask 2-3 broad questions max per call.

**First call** - establish scope and the interviewee's relationship to the topic:
- What is this topic about? (if unclear)
- What is the user's role/expertise level?
- What's the goal of capturing this knowledge?

**IMPORTANT:** After EACH AskUserQuestion response, immediately write what was learned to a file before asking more questions. Never accumulate more than one round of answers without writing.

### 3. Adaptive Deepening

Based on answers, identify **themes** (3-7 major areas). For each theme:

1. Create a file: `<theme-slug>.md`
2. Ask 2-4 targeted questions about that theme using AskUserQuestion
3. Write answers into the theme file
4. If a theme is complex enough, create a subfolder: `<theme-slug>/` and split into sub-files

**Question strategy per depth:**

| Depth | Questions per theme | Total rounds | Output size |
|-------|-------------------|--------------|-------------|
| shallow | 2-3 | 3-5 | 5-10 files |
| medium | 4-6 | 6-10 | 10-20 files |
| deep | 8-12 | 12-20 | 20-40 files |

Default depth: **medium**.

### 4. Question Techniques

Vary question types to extract different knowledge layers:

- **What** questions: facts, definitions, components
- **How** questions: processes, workflows, methods
- **Why** questions: reasoning, philosophy, decisions
- **When/Where** questions: context, triggers, conditions
- **Who** questions: stakeholders, audiences, roles
- **What if** questions: edge cases, exceptions, failures
- **Rank/Priority** questions: force prioritization ("pick top 3")
- **Contrast** questions: "how is X different from Y?"

**Tip:** Use the `options` field in AskUserQuestion to suggest concrete answers when possible - this makes it easier for the user and surfaces assumptions to validate.

### 5. Writing Rules

**File naming:** kebab-case, descriptive. e.g., `target-audience.md`, `pricing-strategy.md`, `session-1-agenda.md`

**File format:**
```markdown
# <Theme Title>

> Source: Deep Interview, <date>

## Key Points
- Point extracted from answer
- Another point

## Details
<Expanded content from follow-up questions>

## Open Questions
- Things that still need clarification
```

**Folder creation trigger:** When a theme has 3+ sub-themes, create a folder:
```
output/
├── _interview-index.md
├── overview.md
├── simple-theme.md
└── complex-theme/
    ├── _index.md
    ├── sub-topic-1.md
    └── sub-topic-2.md
```

### 6. Progress Tracking

After every 3 rounds of questions, show the user a brief status:

```
**Interview Progress:**
- Themes covered: X/Y
- Files created: N
- Current focus: <theme>
- Estimated remaining: ~Z more rounds
```

### 7. Synthesis & Closing

When all themes are covered (or user signals done):

1. Update `_interview-index.md` with final table of contents
2. Create `_summary.md` - a concise synthesis of everything learned
3. Identify and list gaps in `_open-questions.md`
4. Tell user: total files created, folder structure, and suggested next steps

## AskUserQuestion Best Practices

- Max 2-3 questions per call (don't overwhelm)
- Always provide concrete options when possible (user can still type "Other")
- Use `multiSelect: true` for "which of these apply?" questions
- Keep headers short (max 12 chars) - they show as chips/tags
- Phrase options as clear, distinct choices - not vague
- After receiving answers, acknowledge briefly before writing + asking more
- If user gives short answers, ask follow-ups. If detailed, move on.

## Anti-Patterns

- **Don't** ask 10 questions at once - max 3-4 per AskUserQuestion call
- **Don't** wait until the end to write files - write incrementally
- **Don't** ask yes/no questions when open-ended would yield more
- **Don't** repeat questions the user already answered
- **Don't** assume knowledge - always verify with the user
- **Don't** create empty placeholder files - only write when there's real content