How to Talk to Users
Presentation, Transcript and Webinar, Eric Migicovsky, Partner @ Y Combinator
How to talk to users Eric Migicovsky YC Partner
Good founders maintain a direct connection to their users. No middleman!
Write code. Talk to users.
Three common errors you probably make when talking to users… From The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
The Mom Test 1. Talk about their life, not your idea
The Mom Test 2. Talk specifics, not hypotheticals
The Mom Test 3. Listen, don’t talk
Five great questions you can ask in every user interview
1. What’s the hardest part about [doing this thing]?
2. Tell me about the last time you encountered that problem...
3. Why was that hard?
4. What, if anything, have you done to try to solve the problem?
5. What don’t you love about the solutions you’ve tried?
Talking to users is useful at all stages: - Got idea?→find users with problem - Built prototype→best first customer - Launched→find product market fit
Idea Stage Find first users with problem - Friends, coworkers, intros - Drop by in person! - Industry events
Idea Stage Tips - Take notes - Keep it casual - Careful with their time
Prototype Stage Identify best first customers
Prototype Stage Find numerical answers to: - How much does this problem cost them? - How frequent is the problem? - How large is their budget?
Severity of Pain F r equency (ROI, Savings) (Daily, Monthly) Prototype Stage Ability to Fix? (Budget, Authority)
Prototype Stage
Prototype Stage
Launched Stage Iterate towards Product Market Fit
measure the percent who answer “very disappointed.”
measure the percent who answer “very disappointed.” Achieved PMF when value is >40%
Launched Stage Tips: - Ask for phone # during sign up - Don’t design by committee - Discard bad data
Questions?