F6. Analyzing Customer Interview Notes: Coding, Themes, Decisions
After this lesson you can
- Code interview notes close to the words and keep a codebook
- Group codes into themes and build an affinity board with a partner
- Count people by segment and keep disconfirming evidence visible
- Compare theme counts with thresholds set before testing
- Explain the saturation debate and why themes do not prove people will pay
Video coming soon
Videos are planned to publish from December 2026.
A practical method for turning a pile of interview notes into evidence a founder can act on. It adapts the six phases of thematic analysis, introduces affinity diagrams and partner sorting, and shows how to compare theme counts by segment with thresholds set before testing.
Questions and answers
Questions a learner would ask about this lesson. Think through your own answer before you open each one.
- What is the path from interview notes to a decision?
Show answer
Notes record what people said and did. Codes are short labels on pieces of notes, themes are patterns built from related codes, and counts record how many people show each theme, by segment. The decision comes from comparing those counts with thresholds you set before testing.
- What are the six phases of thematic analysis?
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Braun and Clarke (2006) describe familiarizing yourself with the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the report. The lesson adapts them for founders: read every interview once before coding, code close to the words, tag each code with interview number and segment, and finish with one table of themes, counts and quotes.
- What makes a code weak or strong?
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Weak codes are mood labels such as "positive," "liked the idea" or "interested." Strong codes stay close to what happened, such as "paid an outside analyst last year" or "rebuilds evaluation spreadsheet by hand." Keep a codebook that lists each code with a name, a definition and an example.
- Why sort notes with a partner?
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In Griffin and Hauser's 1993 study, one analyst found 54 percent of needs on average, while seven analysts together found an estimated 99 percent. People with different backgrounds read statements differently. The lesson adds that partners should work from de-identified notes and respect consent terms.
- If my themes look strong, have I proven people will pay?
Show answer
No. Interview themes sit on the first rung of the evidence ladder, which runs from conversations about past behavior up to observation, stated-preference surveys, behavioral tests and commitments. Themes show needs and patterns; whether people will pay is a question about behavior that still needs testing.
Practice quiz
- Question 1In Braun and Clarke's 2006 thematic analysis, which step comes right after generating initial codes?
- Question 2The KJ method, or affinity diagram, originated with whom?
- Question 3Founder B finds that nine of twelve nonprofit directors describe a painful workaround, and the pre-set threshold was six. What is the appropriate conclusion?
- Question 4Which is a strong code?
- Question 5When counting themes, what does the lesson say to count?
- Question 6Founder B's spending threshold was at least 4 of 12 people reporting past paid help. Graduate researchers had 2 of 12. What did Founder B do?
- Question 7In Hennink and colleagues' 2017 study, what is the difference between code saturation and meaning saturation?
- Question 8In Founder B's affinity board, theme four was "free help is already available." What kind of evidence is it?
- Question 9Which statement is "spending evidence" in the lesson's evidence table?
- Question 10What is reflexivity?
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