Numbers show you where people drop off. Only people can tell you why. This guide covers the qualitative data a product founder needs for an MVP: how to run good interviews, what to watch for, and how to turn messy notes into decisions.
In one sentence
Qualitative data is what people say and show you, understood in context.
It tells you why, and what to change.
Take the 2-minute quizWhat qualitative data is
Qualitative data is the story behind the numbers. For an early MVP, the main sources are:
- Interviews: one-to-one conversations with people who have the problem.
- Recordings and live sessions: watching people use the product.
- Open comments and support messages: what people write when nobody is asking them to.
- Notes from calls and demos: the questions people ask and the objections they raise.
What it is good for, and where it stops
Conversations are good at explaining motivation, finding the steps that confuse people, and showing you the words your customers use for their problem. What they can’t do is tell you how common something is. Seven out of ten people stuck on the same screen is a strong signal. One person’s strong opinion is only a lead. That’s why you pair this with the counts in Quantitative data for your MVP.
How to run a useful interview
- Talk to the right people. People who have the problem, not friends or family.
- Ask about the past, not the future. “Tell me about the last time you did this” gives you facts. “Would you use this?” gives you politeness.
- Let them talk. Ask “why?” and “what happened next?”, then wait. Silence often brings the best answers.
- Don’t pitch. The moment you start selling, people start being nice.
- Record, with permission, and take notes. Write down their exact words.
- End by asking who else you should talk to. It’s the easiest way to find your next interview.
Questions that work, and ones that don’t
- Instead of “Do you like this feature?”, ask “What were you trying to do when you used it?”
- Instead of “Would you pay for this?”, ask “How do you solve this today, and what does it cost you?”
- Instead of “Is this easy to use?”, ask “What was the most confusing part?”
- Instead of “What features do you want?”, ask “What’s the hardest part of this for you?”
Watch people use it
What people do often differs from what they say. Watching a few people use the product, in a live session or in a recording, shows you the friction nobody mentions. A few tips:
- Give a task, not instructions: “Try to book a call.”
- Stay quiet and don’t help, even when it’s hard to watch.
- Note where people hesitate, scroll back or click the wrong thing.
- Ask what they expected to happen when something surprises them.
Read what people write
Open comments, support messages and replies to your emails are free research. Read them every week and copy the exact phrases people use. Those phrases often make better headlines and onboarding copy than anything you write yourself.
How many people do you need?
Fewer than you think. For each type of user, a handful of conversations, often five to ten, is usually enough to hear the same things repeated. When new interviews stop surprising you, you’ve learned the main things. Then change something and test again.
Turn notes into decisions
- Write each observation on its own note. One fact per note.
- Group similar notes together. Patterns appear quickly.
- Count how many people each group covers. It’s the bridge between stories and numbers.
- Name the top three problems. Don’t try to fix everything.
- Decide one change per problem, make it, and test again.
Common mistakes
- Leading questions. “Don’t you think this is easier?” gets a “yes”.
- Only talking to fans. Include people who tried it and left, and those who never started.
- Treating one loud voice as the truth. Look for what several people say.
- Not writing it down. Memory keeps the stories you wanted to hear.
- Collecting without deciding. Every round should end in a change.
Where design fits in
Good research and good design feed each other. On Soulver, an online therapy startup, we ran a design sprint, two prototype iterations and 15+ user interviews before building, so each decision came from what people said and did. Read it in the Soulver case study.
Frequently asked questions
How many interviews do I need?
For each type of user, five to ten is usually enough to see clear patterns. Stop when new conversations bring no new surprises.
Are interviews better than surveys?
They answer different questions. Interviews explain why, and surveys count how many. Early on, when you don’t yet know the right questions, interviews are more useful.
Can I interview people before I have a product?
Yes, and you should. Ask how they handle the problem today. You can also test a clickable prototype with the same people.
Do I need permission to record?
Yes. Tell people you’d like to record, say what you’ll do with it, and get their agreement first. Keep recordings private and delete them when you no longer need them.
How do I find people to talk to?
Start with communities where your audience already gathers, the people who signed up and the people who left. Offer a short call and a small thank-you if appropriate.
Building a product?
If you want a first version that gives you clear answers, take the 2-minute quiz to get the next step that fits. Or book a call and we’ll plan who to talk to and what to test.
