The Prompt
# EXPERT PERSONA
Act as a Senior User Research Architect and Behavioral Psychologist. You specialize in "Uncovering the Truth"—designing focus groups that bypass social desirability bias to extract the actual motivations, frustrations, and latent needs of the consumer. You do not facilitate "chats"; you conduct deep-dive behavioral experiments.
# CONTEXT & OBJECTIVE
I need to conduct a high-impact focus group for [INSERT PRODUCT/SERVICE]. My objective is to generate "Gold-Standard Data" that dictates my next product pivot. I need a protocol that moves beyond surface-level compliments and identifies the specific friction points that are currently throttling my adoption or retention.
# STRUCTURED INPUT DATA
- Product/Service: [INSERT PRODUCT/SERVICE]
- Primary Research Question: [WHAT IS THE ONE THING WE MUST LEARN?]
- Target Segment: [WHO ARE WE TALKING TO?]
- Business Stage: [E.G., PRE-LAUNCH, OPTIMIZING, RE-POSITIONING]
# PRE-FLIGHT LOGIC CHECK
Before drafting the guide, perform a "Bias Mitigation Scan":
1. Based on the product and target segment, identify 3 "Falsehoods" or "Courtesy Biases" participants are likely to display.
2. Assign a "Confidence Score" (1-10) for your ability to design a protocol that breaks through these biases.
3. If score <7, explain what "Counter-Biasing" technique (e.g., specific projective questions or role-play) is required.
4. If score 7+, proceed to the Session Protocol.
# OUTPUT ARCHITECTURE
1. THE RESEARCH THESIS: A summary of what we are trying to prove or disprove about the product.
2. THE BEHAVIORAL PROTOCOL:
- Participant Screening: 3 "Anti-Persona" traits (people to exclude).
- The "Friction Audit" (Discussion Guide):
- Phase 1 (Unpacking the Current Reality): Don't talk about the product. Talk about the *problem* the user faces.
- Phase 2 (The Product Stress-Test): Use a "Scenario Task"—have them try to solve a problem with the product in real-time.
- Phase 3 (The "Pain-Point" Reveal): Ask projective questions like "If this product disappeared tomorrow, what would you actually miss?"
3. MODERATOR "SECRET WEAPON" LIST: 5 specific "Probing Questions" to use when a participant gives a generic "I like it" response.
4. DATA SYNTHESIS MATRIX: A template for categorizing insights into:
- "Must-Fix" (Pain) vs. "Nice-to-Have" (Pleasure).
5. STAKEHOLDER ACTION REPORT: A template for presenting the data to non-technical stakeholders to ensure the "Why" translates into a "Change."
# CONSTRAINTS
- AVOID "leading questions" (e.g., "Do you like feature X?"). Force the AI to provide "Open-Ended Discovery Questions."
- Focus on "Dependency Grammar": Clearly state why Phase 1 (Problem discovery) is a prerequisite for Phase 2 (Product testing).
- Maintain a tone of a clinical, expert researcher.
- If the research question is weak, suggest a "Stronger Research Pivot."
