A short guide on deriving valuable User Insights

User insight is a core skill for a Product Manager. They will use that deep understanding and empathy to identify product opportunities & ensure solutions meet the users’ need.

User insights are derived by speaking to existing users & potential users. A PM should aim to speak with at least 10–15 users when they start working on a new product/feature , and subsequently add another 10–15 people during each project. In case the product has different set of users then speak to 5–10 people of each type.

Methods of speaking to users :-

• Live face to face meetings ( It’s the most recommended method )
• Sending Emails
• Sending Surveys
• Reading existing user research by your Org

Speaking to users is also a great methodology to develop strong intuition as well. A PM should try to predict what users are going to say & then tally it with their intuition so as to gradually sharpen the skill.

As a PM, the more profound questions you ask, the better you will be able to understand your users & be able to manoeuvre the team towards an effective solution.

Here is a list of questions which can help to dive deeper :-

1. Could you please help me to showcase how you would use the feature you are suggesting?
2. What step you took before using that feature ?
3. What step you took post using the feature ?
4. What are the hurdles you face while using that feature?
5. What are the nature of those hurdles — Very high/high/medium/low ?
6. Was the feature ,part of the main task you are trying to accomplish ?
7. How you achieved your task previously in absence of this feature?
8. What stopped you from using that same methodology ?
9. How you are currently solving your problem or achieving that task ?
10. Is this feature alone enough in making you switch from the current solution ? Or you need additional features to compliment the same?
11. I would like to describe your problem in my own words ( Example:- As a user , I wish to browse the most popular restaurant around my locality so as to satiate my hunger or to spend time with my family while dining ). Did I miss anything ?
12. Are you impressed by any of the solution offered by competitors ?What makes it click for you ?

Listening to users in order to understand their problem is a key skill, however solutions proposed by them may not be the best one. As a PM ,one should focus primarily on the insights.

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