User Discovery & Research Skill

Interview Mastery

30-60 Minute Interview Structure

• "Thanks for time. I want to understand your experience with [topic]."
• Warm conversation (not a interrogation)
• Note-taking permission, recording permission

• "Tell me about your role..."
• "What does a typical day look like?"
• "What tools do you use?"
• "Who do you work with?"

• "Walk me through how you currently [solve X]..."
• "Tell me about the last time [problem] happened..."
• "What frustrates you most about [current solution]?"
• "How often does [issue] occur?"

• "What's the impact when [problem] happens?"
• "How much time do you spend on [workaround]?"
• "What's the cost if [issue] isn't resolved?"

• "What would make your life easier?"
• "Describe your ideal [solution]..."
• "What would you be willing to pay to solve [problem]?"

• "Is there anything else important?"
• "Can I follow up?"
• "Can you introduce me to others?"

Interview Techniques

• Ask questions instead of proposing solutions
• Let them discover insights
• Ask "Why?" 5 times to get root cause
• Example:
  • Q: "Why do you use spreadsheets?"
  • A: "It's what we have"
  • Q: "Why not use a database?"
  • A: "Don't have budget"
  • Q: "Why no budget?"
  • A: "ROI wasn't clear"
  • → Real problem: ROI uncertainty

• You have two ears, one mouth
• Let silence linger (they fill it)
• Take notes but stay engaged
• Nod and show genuine interest

• ❌ "Don't you think mobile is important?"
• ✅ "What devices do you primarily use?"
• ❌ "Wouldn't X solve your problem?"
• ✅ "What would an ideal solution look like?"

• Frustration, excitement, anxiety
• These reveal true pain points
• "I can see this is frustrating. Tell me more..."

Interview Logistics

• Target: 20-25 interviews minimum
• Mix: power users, light users, non-users
• Incentive: $50-100 or product credit
• Screening: Ensure they fit target segment

• Always record (with permission)
• Take live notes (rough OK)
• Timestamps for quotes
• Video is better than audio if possible

• Write key insights within 24 hours
• While memory fresh, fill in gaps
• Highlight best quotes
• Note any bias you notice

Synthesis & Analysis

Affinity Mapping

1. Write every quote/insight on sticky note
2. Group similar insights
3. Find themes
4. Rank by frequency/impact
5. Extract top 10-15 themes

• Time pressure (everyone mentions)
• Tool switching costs (8 of 20 people)
• Lack of automation (7 of 20 people)
• Data fragmentation (15 of 20 people)

Persona Development

1. Demographics
   • Role, company size, industry
   • Education, experience level
   • Geographic location
   • Company revenue/growth stage
2. Goals & Motivations
   • What's their job-to-be-done?
   • How is success measured?
   • What drives them?
   • What keeps them up at night?
3. Challenges & Pain Points
   • Top 3 problems (research-backed)
   • Current workarounds
   • Cost of problem (time, money, stress)
   • What they've tried
4. Current Solutions
   • What tools do they use?
   • How do they work together?
   • What's missing?
   • Tech stack
5. Quote & Story
   • Real, powerful quote
   • Day-in-the-life scenario
   • Decision journey story

• 1-2 pages max
• Include photo (stock image)
• Real quotes (3-5)
• Scenario/story
• Key behaviors
• Success metrics

Journey Mapping

Current State Journey (As-Is)

1. Awareness - Realizes problem exists
2. Consideration - Researches solutions
3. Purchase - Buys solution
4. Onboarding - Learns to use
5. Usage - Day-to-day work
6. Support - Gets help
7. Renewal - Continues or leaves

For Each Stage Map:

• Searches online
• Talks to colleagues
• Evaluates options
• etc.

• Frustrated (searching)
• Cautious (evaluating)
• Confident (purchased)
• Overwhelmed (onboarding)
• etc.

• Website
• Sales calls
• Email
• Product UI
• Support chat
• etc.

• Hard to find info
• Slow response times
• Confusing UI
• etc.

• Better documentation
• Faster support
• Simpler onboarding
• etc.

Research Methods

Quantitative

• Reach: 100+ people
• Speed: 2-3 days
• Depth: Medium
• Best for: Validation, scale

• "How likely to recommend?" (0-10)
• Followers: 9-10
• Passives: 7-8
• Detractors: 0-6
• Formula: %Followers - %Detractors

Qualitative

• Reach: 15-25 people
• Speed: 2-3 weeks
• Depth: Very high
• Best for: Understanding "why"

• Reach: 8-12 people
• Speed: 1-2 weeks
• Depth: High
• Bonus: Group dynamic reveals thinking

• Reach: 3-5 people
• Speed: 2-3 days
• Depth: Very high
• Best for: Seeing vs. hearing

Mixed Methods

• Start with interviews (understand why)
• Then survey (validate with 100+)
• Iterate based on findings

Key Insights Extraction

Five Key Metrics

1. Problem Severity
   • How badly does it hurt?
   • Frequency of problem
   • Impact magnitude
   • Urgency to solve
2. Current Solution Satisfaction
   • Is current approach acceptable?
   • What's missing?
   • Workarounds needed?
   • Would switch if better option?
3. Willingness to Pay
   • What would they pay for solution?
   • Price sensitivity?
   • ROI expectations?
4. Decision Making
   • Who decides?
   • Who influences?
   • Budget process?
   • Timeline?
5. Switching Costs
   • What prevents switching?
   • Integration challenges?
   • Learning curve acceptable?
   • Migration effort?

Top 5 Questions to Answer

1. What's the #1 problem?
2. Who has the problem most acutely?
3. How do they solve it today?
4. What would ideal solution look like?
5. Would they pay for it, and how much?

Troubleshooting

Yaygın Hatalar & Çözümler

Debug Checklist

[ ] Sample size yeterli mi? (min 15-20)
[ ] Questions leading değil mi?
[ ] Recording consent alındı mı?
[ ] Synthesis 24h içinde yapıldı mı?
[ ] Bias check yapıldı mı?

Recovery Procedures

1. Low Participation → Adjust incentive or channel
2. Conflicting Data → Segment by user type
3. Interviewer Bias → Add second interviewer