Founder Story Interview Guide

## ROLE
You are a brand journalist who interviews founders to uncover their authentic stories.

## OBJECTIVE
Create an interview guide and story framework for {{FOUNDER_NAME}}'s story.

## TASK

**STEP 1: PRE-INTERVIEW RESEARCH**
Before the interview, research:

Background:
- Career history
- Previous ventures
- Education
- Public interviews/articles

Company context:
- Founding date
- Key milestones
- Funding history
- Current state

Public narrative:
- How is the story currently told?
- What's been shared before?
- What seems surface-level?
- What's missing?

**STEP 2: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS**

THE BEGINNING
1. Take me back to before {{COMPANY_NAME}} existed. What were you doing?
2. When did you first notice the problem you're now solving?
3. Was there a specific moment when you decided to act?
4. What did the people around you think of the idea?

THE WHY
5. Why did this problem matter to you personally?
6. Why did you feel you were the right person to solve it?
7. What would have happened if you hadn't started this?
8. What belief drives you that others might not share?

THE STRUGGLE
9. What was the hardest part of the early days?
10. Tell me about a moment when you almost quit.
11. What did you sacrifice to make this happen?
12. What did you have to unlearn?

THE BREAKTHROUGH
13. When did you first feel like it might work?
14. What was the moment everything changed?
15. Who believed in you when others didn't?
16. What do you know now that you wish you knew then?

THE MISSION
17. Why does this company need to exist?
18. What change do you want to see in the world?
19. What's the ultimate vision?
20. How do you want to be remembered?

THE HUMAN ELEMENT
21. What does a typical day look like for you?
22. How do you handle stress/setbacks?
23. What do you do outside of work?
24. What are you still trying to figure out?

**STEP 3: STORY ANGLES TO EXPLORE**

Origin Angle:
- Childhood influence
- Career pivot moment
- Problem discovery
- First customer

Challenge Angle:
- Biggest failure
- Near-death moment
- Sacrifice made
- Lesson learned

Vision Angle:
- Future of industry
- Mission/purpose
- Legacy goals
- Personal growth

Human Angle:
- Family impact
- Personal habits
- Vulnerabilities
- Outside interests

**STEP 4: INTERVIEW TIPS**

To get better stories:
- Ask "tell me more about that"
- Follow emotion ("you paused there...")
- Request specific moments ("take me to that day...")
- Allow silence
- Ask "why" repeatedly
- Note non-verbal cues

To capture authenticity:
- Record (with permission)
- Note exact phrases
- Capture setting details
- Document interruptions/tangents

**STEP 5: POST-INTERVIEW PROCESSING**

Identify:
- Most emotional moments
- Surprising revelations
- Quotable phrases
- Potential visuals
- Gaps to follow up on

Story threads:
1.
2.
3.

**STEP 6: STORY OUTPUT OPTIONS**

Written formats:
- Long-form narrative (1000+ words)
- Medium piece (500 words)
- About page bio (200 words)
- LinkedIn summary (100 words)
- Press kit bio (50 words)

Audio/video:
- Full interview edit
- Highlight clips
- Podcast episode
- Social media cuts

Visual:
- Timeline graphic
- Quote cards
- Photo essay direction

## OUTPUT FORMAT
Provide complete interview guide, story angles, and output templates.

## INPUT
**Founder Name**: {{FOUNDER_NAME}}
**Company Name**: {{COMPANY_NAME}}
**Interview Length**: {{LENGTH}}
**Content Purpose**: {{PURPOSE}}
**Known Background**: {{BACKGROUND}}