#53 - The value you get from user interviews is in how well you conduct them
Hope you’re enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend, 25 degrees. You can’t go wrong.
If you have never done user interviews, you are bound to think it’s a trivial exercise. Afterall, if you did everything other people said, you wouldn’t be the girl who asks for forgiveness and not permission.
When I first started doing user interviews, The Moms Test helped me to understand why it was ignorant to listen to the nod of approval you get when you ask someone if they will buy your product. Of course, they say that. The real data is in their actions, their expressions, that squirming or awkwardness you observe when you conduct an interview and get to their motivations and frustrations.
If you need a copy, drop me an email. I might be able to send you mine.
What do you mean Yoms?
Well, ask someone how often they go to gym? They will say every day
But ask someone how often they went gym last month. They will say, zero!
See, action!
Lastly, stop building stuff. Focus on understanding the problem
People will usually quote Henry Ford’s line “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses”
Maybe so, but they don’t understand what is technically possible. It in on you to build a strong understanding of the frustrations and problems you see. To understand the progress people are trying to make and their motivations.
Let's Build Great Products
The Mom Test - a book
They say you shouldn’t ask your mom whether your business is a good idea, because she loves you and will lie to you.
This is technically true but misses the point. You shouldn’t ask anyone if your business is a good idea. It’s a bad question, and everyone will lie to you, at least a little. It’s not their responsibility to tell you the truth. It’s their responsibility to find it.
Sunday Reads
User research — what’s tomato ketchup got to do with it?
TL;DR “You can observe a lot just by watching.” Even in something as unrelated at ketchup
Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead
We all have things that we want to achieve in our lives — execution and the things you do every day is what matters.
Helpful Tool(s)
Productivity Hack
I got this tip from MrWorkSmarter and it’s worked for me.
It took my time to realise my optimal productivity time. Some people work better in the morning, some late and night and there is the flavour of deep work, creativity, the lot!
I am not perfect, but I think prioritisation is something founders, techies, designers, all of us are trying to get right. Nothing better than that feeling at the end of the week when you have got shit dome.
So here’s the Chrome Add-In I use. However if you want a different setup just look for Pomodoro technique and browse Google for other tools.