Reference table
Laddering vs other deep interview techniques
A side-by-side of five deep interview techniques: laddering, 5 Whys, Jobs to Be Done interviews, Mom Test interviews and empathy interviews. For each it gives the goal, how the interview is structured and the research question it suits best. Use it to pick a method before you write a discussion guide. Koji's AI interviewer can run any of them, with follow-up questions on every answer.
Where this appears
What's in this reference table
| Technique | Goal | Structure | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laddering | Uncover the values hierarchy | Systematic A-C-V | Brand positioning, product strategy |
| 5 Whys | Find the root cause | Repeated why probing | Problem diagnosis |
| JTBD interviews | Understand the job being done | Timeline-based | Product discovery |
| Mom Test interviews | Validate without bias | Problem-focused | Early-stage validation |
| Empathy interviews | Build emotional understanding | Free-form | Empathy mapping |
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Free to use in your docs, decks and posts under CC BY 4.0, as long as you credit Koji with a link to this page. To embed it, paste this into your page:
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<a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/laddering-vs-5-whys-jtbd-mom-test-table"><img src="https://www.koji.so/visuals/laddering-vs-5-whys-jtbd-mom-test-table/laddering-vs-5-whys-jtbd-mom-test-table.png" alt="Table comparing laddering with 5 Whys, JTBD, Mom Test and empathy interviews by goal, structure and what each technique is best for." width="1200" height="748" /></a>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/laddering-vs-5-whys-jtbd-mom-test-table">Laddering vs other deep interview techniques</a>, Koji</p>
