At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Emmett Shear explains user interviews to build products people want
- Emmett Shear argues that many startup failures come from building without understanding real user behavior and shows how targeted interviews corrected that mistake at Twitch.
- He emphasizes that selecting the right people to interview (including competitors’ users and non-users) is as important as the questions you ask because different groups reveal different blockers.
- The recommended interview style focuses on current habits and motivations—avoiding feature brainstorming and product demos—to prevent biased, “horseless carriage” answers.
- Twitch’s interviews surfaced underlying needs (money, stability, global reach, ease of broadcasting) that were more strategic than the literal feature requests streamers voiced.
- He outlines lightweight validation tactics (cheating with extensions, collecting payment commitments) and internal buy-in techniques (recording interviews and replaying clips).
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasWho you interview determines the strategy you’ll discover.
Twitch prioritized broadcasters (content suppliers) because viewers followed content; interviewing only viewers would have produced a different, less leverageable roadmap.
Start interviews by mapping real behavior, not imagined features.
Shear’s demo interview stays on how notes are taken today (tools, switching between pen/paper, collaboration, review habits) to reveal true workflows and frictions.
Avoid feature questions to prevent biased, low-signal answers.
Asking “Would you use/pay for X?” invites politeness and “faster horse” responses; instead, probe motivations, constraints, and what currently blocks progress.
Compare users, competitor users, and non-users to find the biggest blockers.
Current users complain about annoyances they tolerate; competitor users and non-users reveal the issues so severe they prevent adoption and market expansion.
Translate requests into underlying goals, then build the real fix.
Streamers asked for specific chat/admin features, but Twitch focused on deeper needs like monetization, video stability, and global accessibility—often things no one explicitly requested.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotesWho you talk to is as important as what questions you ask.
— Emmett Shear
Don't show them your product.
— Emmett Shear
The most interesting things you learn in interviews come from the, 'Interesting, tell me more.'
— Emmett Shear
Sales is this cure-all for this problem. Get people to put, give you their credit card.
— Emmett Shear
Find a way to cheat is what it comes down to.
— Emmett Shear
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