Choosing the right research method
Customer interviews without scheduling calls
A good interview follows up on what someone actually says — that's what makes it more useful than a form. The question is whether a person has to be the one asking, or whether an AI interviewer can get you the same depth at the speed you need.
What stays the same
Both formats work the same way from the respondent's side: someone asks a question, listens to the answer, and follows up based on what was actually said. The conversation adapts to each person rather than running a fixed script.
That's the part that matters. A survey can't do it. Both kinds of interview can.
What changes
Scheduling
You book a time with each person. Ten interviews might take two weeks to schedule and run.
You share a link. Everyone is interviewed on their own time, in parallel.
Scale
Limited by your calendar. Most teams stop at a handful because the time cost is real.
The same link works for any number of people. The effort is the same whether one person answers or fifty.
Consistency
Depends on the interviewer's skill and energy. The tenth interview is rarely as sharp as the first.
Every respondent gets the same quality of attention. Follow-ups are driven by what they said, not how tired the interviewer is.
Depth
A skilled interviewer reads body language, adjusts tone, and catches things AI can't. This is the real advantage.
Follows up on language and meaning. Misses non-verbal cues. Goes deeper than a survey but not as deep as the best human interviewer.
Synthesis
You take notes, re-listen, and write up findings yourself. This is where most of the time goes.
Findings are generated automatically — with attributed quotes, disagreements, and what to do next.
Cost
Your time, or a research agency at $150–300 per interview.
distil is free. No account, no signup, no payment at any step.
Keep doing traditional interviews when…
- You're exploring a brand-new problem and don't know what to ask yet
- Emotional nuance and body language matter to the finding
- You have five or fewer people and can schedule them this week
- The relationship with the participant is part of the value
Use AI interviews when…
- You want to hear from more people than you can schedule calls with
- Speed matters — you need answers this week, not next month
- You already know the question and want depth on it at scale
- You'd otherwise skip the research because the logistics aren't worth it
See what the output looks like
Ten real interviews with open-source maintainers, turned into findings with attributed quotes and a printed quote check. Unedited output from the same engine your study would use.