Rather than directly asking potential customers how much they will pay, it is more effective to explore their existing behaviors and investments in related categories. Inquire about their current spending patterns on kitchen tools, and how these have evolved over time. By examining the broader budget that includes kitchen tools rather than a specific item, one can gauge the range of price they are willing to entertain. Additionally, eliciting responses to hypothetical extreme pricing can provide valuable insights into perceived value and pricing thresholds. Asking questions about extreme scenarios, such as the price of a pan being set at an unusual amount, may lead to revealing information about customers' actual willingness to pay compared to their initial expectations.
Our guest today is Jeanette Mellinger, Head of UX Research at BetterUp and our User Research Expert in Residence at First Round.
In today’s conversation, Jeanette unspools her tested playbook for high-quality customer interviews, with particular advice for founders in the very early days of validating an idea, including:
- The three-step framework for a thorough user-research process
- The biggest mistakes she’s noticed after working with dozens of early-stage companies
- Specific advice for structuring an interview flow and crafting better questions that unlock essential insights
You can follow Jeanette on Twitter at @jnetmell
You can email us questions directly at review@firstround.com or follow us on Twitter @firstround and @brettberson.