abanoub-ashraf/indie-user-research

Indie User Research Skill

User research and customer discovery framework for indie iOS/macOS developers. Use this skill when the user wants to understand their customers, conduct interviews, apply Jobs to be Done (JTBD) methodology, validate product ideas, or gather customer insights.

When to Use This Skill

Trigger on phrases like "user research", "customer interview", "jobs to be done", "JTBD", "understand my users", "customer discovery", "validate idea", "user feedback", "why users churn", "what users want", or any questions about understanding customer needs and motivations.

Jobs to be Done (JTBD) Framework

Core Philosophy

Users don't buy products—they "hire" them to make progress toward a goal. The key insight is that competition isn't just similar products; it's anything that helps the user accomplish the same job.

Example: A user doesn't buy a meal-planning app to "have a meal-planning app." They hire it to reduce the mental load of deciding what to eat, save time grocery shopping, or feel confident they're feeding their family well.

The Four Forces of Progress

Understanding why users switch from one solution to another:

Push Forces (Away from current solution):

1. Problems with current situation
2. Frustrations and pain points
3. Unmet needs

Pull Forces (Toward new solution):

1. Attraction to new solution
2. Expected benefits
3. Desired outcomes

Resistance Forces (Against switching):

1. Anxiety about the new solution
2. Fear of the unknown
3. Learning curve concerns

Inertia Forces (Staying put):

1. Habit of the present
2. Investment in current solution
3. "Good enough" mentality

For a user to switch, Pull + Push must be greater than Resistance + Inertia.

JTBD Statement Format

Structure your findings into actionable statements:

When I'm [situation/context], 
I want to [motivation/job], 
so I can [desired outcome/benefit].

Example: "When I'm recruiting participants for UX research, I want to automate screening so I can quickly move participants through without manual time-suck."

Functional, Emotional, and Social Dimensions

Jobs have multiple dimensions:

Functional: The practical task to accomplish

• "I need to track my expenses"

Emotional: How the user wants to feel

• "I want to feel in control of my finances"

Social: How the user wants to be perceived

• "I want to appear responsible to my partner"

Understanding all three dimensions creates products that resonate deeply.

Conducting JTBD Interviews

Who to Interview

Recent Adopters: People who recently started using your app or a competitor

• Best for understanding "pull" factors
• Fresh memory of switching decision

Recent Churners: People who recently stopped using your app

• Understand why the job wasn't getting done
• Identify gaps in your solution

Non-Users: People trying to accomplish the same job without your app

• Understand current workarounds
• Identify underserved segments

Screening Participants

Good Screening Questions:

• "When did you last [relevant behavior]?"
• "What are you currently using for [job]?"
• "Have you recently switched from one solution to another?"

Sample Size:

• 10-20 interviews typically sufficient
• May need 30-50 for broad audiences
• Look for patterns, not just individual stories

Interview Structure

Duration: 60-90 minutes for JTBD depth

Recording: Always with consent. Take notes on body language and emotional cues that won't be captured in transcripts.

Interview Flow:

1. Warm-up (5 min): Build rapport, explain purpose

2. Timeline (30-40 min): Map the customer journey

   • "Tell me about when you first realized you needed something like this"
   • "Walk me through what happened next"
   • Work backward from purchase to "First Thought"

3. Deep Dive (20-30 min): Explore specific moments

   • "What were you hoping would happen?"
   • "What were you worried about?"
   • "How did you decide between options?"

4. Current Usage (10-15 min): Understand ongoing relationship

   • "How do you use it now?"
   • "What's better/worse than expected?"

Interview Best Practices

Ask About Past Behavior, Not Hypotheticals:

• Good: "Tell me about the last time you did X"
• Bad: "Would you use a feature that does Y?"

Stay Objective:

• Don't sell or explain your product
• Don't defend design decisions
• Let awkward silences happen—they prompt elaboration

Dig for Specifics:

• "Can you give me an example?"
• "What do you mean by 'easy'?"
• "Walk me through exactly what you did"

Find the "First Thought":

• The deep motivation often predates the purchase by months
• "When did you first think you might need something like this?"
• This reveals the true job to be done

Questions That Reveal Jobs

Understanding the Struggle:

• "What were you trying to accomplish?"
• "What made you start looking for a solution?"
• "What had you tried before that didn't work?"

Understanding the Switch:

• "What finally made you decide to change?"
• "What almost stopped you from switching?"
• "What would have happened if you hadn't found a solution?"

Understanding Success Criteria:

• "How do you know if this is working?"
• "What would make you recommend this to a friend?"
• "What would make you stop using this?"

Analyzing Interview Data

Finding Patterns

JTBD research is qualitative—look for patterns across interviews, not just numbers.

What to Extract:

• Common situations that trigger the job
• Hiring criteria (what matters in a solution)
• Benefits experienced
• Anxieties and concerns
• Current workarounds and competitors

Creating Job Maps

Job maps show what the customer accomplishes, not how they accomplish it.

Characteristics of Good Job Maps:

• Solution-free (no mention of specific tools)
• Stable over time (jobs don't change, solutions do)
• Universal across customer segments

Example Structure:

1. Define the goal
2. Locate resources needed
3. Prepare to do the job
4. Confirm readiness
5. Execute the job
6. Monitor results
7. Make adjustments
8. Conclude the job

Deliverables

For Product Development:

• JTBD statements for key user segments
• Hiring criteria prioritized by importance
• Anxieties to address in marketing and onboarding
• Opportunity areas for product roadmap

For Marketing:

• Customer language to use in copy
• Channels where users look for solutions
• Competitive landscape from user perspective
• Value propositions that resonate

Voice of Customer (VoC) Research

Beyond Interviews

App Store Reviews:

• Rich source of unsolicited feedback
• Look for specific complaints and praise
• Note exact language users use

Support Tickets:

• Reveals where users get stuck
• Common questions indicate unclear UX
• Feature requests show unmet jobs

Social Media:

• Reddit, Twitter, forums in your niche
• How do people talk about the problem?
• What solutions do they mention?

Using Customer Language

VoC research wins conversion lifts repeatedly because it "speaks the unspoken words" of customers.

How to Apply:

• Use exact phrases from customer feedback in marketing copy
• Mirror the way users describe their problems
• Address specific objections you've heard

What Not to Do:

• Don't ask "What do you want?" (customers bad at innovative solutions)
• Don't take feature requests literally (dig for underlying job)
• Don't assume you know better than data

Research Tools

Interview Management

Lyssna: Recruit, schedule, manage participants, transcribe interviews

User Interviews: 4M+ vetted participants, customizable filters, scheduling

Maze: Survey templates including JTBD-focused questions

Analysis

Dovetail: Qualitative research repository, tagging, insights

Notion: Flexible database for organizing interview notes

Miro/FigJam: Collaborative mapping and synthesis

Recommended Reading

Books:

• "Jobs to be Done" by Tony Ulwick
• "Competing Against Luck" by Clayton Christensen
• "The Mom Test" by Rob Fitzpatrick (interview technique)
• "Continuous Discovery Habits" by Teresa Torres

Quick-Start Research Process

For Indie Developers (Minimal Viable Research)

Week 1: Preparation

1. Define the job you think your app does
2. Identify 5-10 people to interview (existing users, potential users)
3. Prepare interview guide with open-ended questions

Week 2: Interviews 4. Conduct 5-10 interviews (30-60 minutes each) 5. Take notes immediately after each interview 6. Look for early patterns

Week 3: Synthesis 7. Extract common themes and patterns 8. Write JTBD statements for key segments 9. Identify 2-3 actionable insights 10. Prioritize changes based on findings

Ongoing Research Habits

• Review app store reviews weekly
• Do 1-2 user interviews monthly
• Update JTBD understanding as product evolves
• Track which features correlate with retention

Common Mistakes

Mistake: Asking leading questions Fix: Stay neutral, ask about behavior not preferences

Mistake: Talking more than listening Fix: Aim for 20% talking, 80% listening

Mistake: Taking feature requests at face value Fix: Always dig for the underlying job

Mistake: Only talking to happy customers Fix: Churned users often have most valuable insights

Mistake: Not recording or taking notes Fix: Memory is unreliable; document everything

References

• "Jobs to be Done" by Tony Ulwick
• "The Mom Test" by Rob Fitzpatrick
• JTBD Toolkit by Jim Kalbach
• Intercom on Jobs to be Done (free ebook)