Creating a Killer Product: 7 Game-Changing Questions to Ask

Want to create a killer product? Get inside your customer’s head.

The best way to do that? Conduct tons of user interviews.

Wondering what to ask? Start with these 7 game-changing questions 👇

— Julie Zhuo (@joulee) April 11, 2023

1. Capture eyewitness account

"Describe the last time you <had X problem>. What happened?"

Follow up with: "What did you do then? Why did you do that?"

Asking them to describe a specific, concrete example often yields more insight than generic "What do you do when X happens"

— Julie Zhuo (@joulee) April 11, 2023

2. Check table stakes

"What works for you about <existing solution Y>?"

Know what they value about their existing solution. These are the things you need to have an answer for if you're asking them to switch and use your product instead.

— Julie Zhuo (@joulee) April 11, 2023

3. Probe for pain

"What’s the worst part about trying to <solve problem X>?"

Follow up with: "How much does this suck?"

The pain points of the current experience are your opportunity. But make sure the problem is big enough and actually worth solving.

— Julie Zhuo (@joulee) April 11, 2023

4. Research costs:

"How much <money, time, effort> did you spend to <solve problem X with existing solution Y>?"

This gives you signal on how you can position your own product's value prop and differentiate. Are you going to save time or save money?

— Julie Zhuo (@joulee) April 11, 2023

5. Determine the bar:

"What’s the best experience you’ve ever had in <solving problem X>?"

What does this user consider "great" to be? Can you meet or exceed that?

— Julie Zhuo (@joulee) April 11, 2023

6. Gather potential visions:

"If you had a magic wand for <problem X>, what would you use it on?"

This will add to your pool of ideas on what to build. But don't over-fixate on doing what's suggested -- some suggestions will be more like "make a faster horse" than "build a car"

— Julie Zhuo (@joulee) April 11, 2023

7. Test your thesis:

"If I gave you <proposed solution>, what parts about <problem X> would it help with or not help with?"

Save this for the end as to not bias the rest of the conversation. But this gives you signal on whether the solution space you're working in resonates.

— Julie Zhuo (@joulee) April 11, 2023