Talk to users

Product building is hard

Gustav, a group partner at Y Combinator, brings a wealth of experience from his journey as a YC founder and a growth lead at Airbnb. He delved into the critical aspect of product development: talking to your users. Product managers are often told to talk with users to figure out what to build. But how do you do that?

1. Determine who your users are and engage with them directly.
2. Avoid relying solely on your immediate network as this might lead to biased feedback.
3. Prefer video calls or in-person meetings over surveys.
4. Start without introducing your idea to avoid bias.
5. Focus on open-ended questions to understand the user's problems, not your perceived solutions.
6. Use insights from user interviews to shape your MVP (Minimum Viable Product).
7. Test your MVP with the same users to ensure it addresses the real problems.
8. Don't focus on features over problems.
9. Avoid leading questions that can bias responses.
10. Don’t ask users to design the solution - that’s your job.

Prototyping and Feedback Loop

Show prototypes to users and observe their interactions.

Create a feedback loop, possibly using platforms like Slack or WhatsApp, to keep users engaged and involved in the development process.

Talking with users is not just a one-off task but a continuous process that can significantly influence the direction and success of your product.

Gustav’s insights provide a clear roadmap for product managers to build products that are truly aligned with their users' needs and problems.