A GAITS Framwork for Exploratory Interviewing

The VERITAS Framework

A structured methodology for conducting stakeholder interviews that generate valid, unbiased discovery data.

12 Rules 4 Severity Tiers Trusted Insights

John Collins · jcollins11@mgh.harvard.edu

Introduction

Teams work hard to get interviews and try their best to ask the right questions — but too often inadvertently introduce bias and generate data they should not trust. They ask leading questions without realizing it. They seed ideas or pitch before they have finished listening. They hear what they hoped to hear rather than what was actually said. VERITAS is a set of 12 rules — organized by the severity of damage each violation causes — for conducting exploratory interviews that produce data you can actually build on. These rules have evolved over 10 years with teams participating in the CRAASH program. They work. But they need to be practiced.

Where would you like to begin?

Start here

Introduction

Why good intentions aren't enough, what makes a discovery interview different, and what is at stake when the data is wrong.

The methodology

The 12 Rules

The complete VERITAS rule set, organized by severity — from Data Destroyers to Signal & Access.

Practical guidance

Suggestions

How to prep, recruit, avoid selection bias, conduct the interview, and analyze what you heard.

At a glance

Quick Reference

The full rule set in a single scannable table. Use this before and after every interview.