Topic Map Interviews are great throughout the venture building process. They are best used when your team is looking to dig into the finer details of experiences and allow the interviewee to take some of the lead. Topic Map Interviews should encourage storytelling from your interview subject which can uncover unexpected insights about your problem and inspiration points for your solution.

Topic Map Interviews give both you and your interviewee the ability to explore aspects of life and experience connected to the problem area in a way that can be both flexible and deep. By stepping away from the questionnaire format you'll be more likely to find meaningful insights that are surprising and wouldn't arise based on question and answer.

Topic maps can be created using PowerPoint or Keynote or with a pen and paper. If you're using Topic Maps in an in-depth interview setting you should ideally have a quiet room and camera or audio recorder to capture the session. Either way you should be sure to get written permission from your subject in the form of a release statement. A release is particularly important if you intend to use any of the recording for marketing or other public purposes. Here is an example of a release statement from Usability.gov.