Article

Why User Interviews Fail

Nielsen Norman Group Free Intermediate

This is a catalogue of the specific ways founders sabotage their own sessions, including talking too much, asking hypothetical questions, and reacting visibly to what the user does. Skim it after your first test and you'll probably recognize at least one mistake you just made.

  • Poor or leading questions produce data you can't actually act on.
  • Asking someone to predict their future behavior is unreliable.
  • Recruiting the wrong participant undoes everything else you do right in the room.
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It answers 2 questions

  1. How do I show a prototype to users without biasing their reaction?
  2. How do I run good discovery calls in India when the person keeps saying yes to be polite but never converts?

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