A framework for running user interviews that feed directly into product decisions. Start with a clear learning goal, prepare 3-5 talking points instead of a script, recruit from email or LinkedIn, and record sessions. After, use tools like Dovetail to spot patterns and shape your roadmap.
Chapters
If you're building a product for a while, you already know this. Often, shipping features isn't the hardest part. It's knowing what's actually worth building. Here's a short version of how to do this, the same process we use with our clients. Start with what you want to learn. Don't just talk to users, but define the goal first. Are you testing a new flow? Want to understand behaviors? Finding real use cases? Comparing alternatives? Want to understand why your users churn? Or why they picked your product in the first place? Different goals, different interviews. Don't prepare a full script. It will just force you to focus on asking the next question. Instead, prepare 3 to 5 talking points and make sure you are present in the discussion and you're actively listening and asking follow-up questions. That's where usually the real insights are. You also have to figure out how to get people to talk to you. If you already have users, you can use direct email or in-app popups. Whatever you choose, make sure there is an easy way to schedule a call. If you don't have users yet, look into your network, LinkedIn, niche groups. You can even run some small ads. Whatever you choose, make sure you ask for referrals. You only need a couple of conversations to start to see strong patterns. Once everything is set up, the next step is to run the session. Have your prototype prepared, your notes, bring a teammate if you can, and be curious and open-minded. If it's possible, record everything. You'll see things later you completely missed in the live discussion. The next step is to analyze the patterns. This is what shapes your roadmap in the end. We use Dovetail for highlights and Airtable to track all the insights by feature. This is the difference between building confidently versus guessing the next steps. If you don't have time, you can try async. In this scenario, we used quick tasks, small flows that we sent over through Lisna. You can also try surveys in some cases. Just keep in mind, it's not as rich as live calls, but it still can be valuable. As you can see, user interviews don't always have to be a very big research project. You can tailor it as you need in order to make better product decisions faster.
