Just recently, we discussed with my mentee, who is a solo founder, how challenging the initial research stage can be, especially if you are just starting with your first product idea.

Diving into an industry and uncovering the challenges faced by its key players is both daunting and exhilarating. In co-founding my food photography app, I encountered numerous challenges and learned valuable lessons about identifying problems and effectively communicating with potential users. Here’s a guide based on my experiences.

Step 1: Understand the Ecosystem

The first step is understanding the ecosystem of your industry. You need to map out the key players, the services they use, and the market dynamics. This process can seem overwhelming at first, but it’s crucial for finding your niche.

For example, In the food photography world, I had to understand what are the specific needs of delivery companies, booking platforms, food bloggers, restaurant owners, and social media influencers, who is paying for photos in each case and what are the instruments they are using. It was like piecing together a complex puzzle, but once the whole picture emerged, I felt a sense of clarity and direction.

Step 2: Identify Your Target Personas

Deciding who your primary audience will be is a critical step. Each group within your industry has unique challenges and needs. I found it essential to put myself in their shoes to tailor my approach and product effectively. You can have multiple assumptions about personas, I’d suggest targeting those who you believe have higher and more frequent pains and willingness and paying capacity to solve them.  

I realized that food bloggers needed high-quality images quickly for their posts, and they were ready to spend time producing content, while restaurant owners wanted to visually entice menu photos without extra effort, as they were already overwhelmed. Understanding these different personas helped me focus my efforts and refine my product features.

Step 3: Find Your Audience

Recruiting participants for your research can be challenging, but here are some strategies that have proven effective, and I used myself.

• Offline Conversations and Networking Events: Attend relevant conferences, local groups, or industry expos. Platforms like Meetup.com or Eventbrite are great for finding such events. Personal Experience: For my food photography research, I had to step out of the comfort of my screen and directly speak to restaurant owners at their establishments and industry events. It was uncomfortable at first, but it provided invaluable insights that I could never have gained online.
• Social Media: Use platforms like LinkedIn to connect with individuals in relevant groups, follow influencers, and engage with company pages. Personal Experience: This channel worked well for me. I connected with restaurant owners through local Facebook groups and reached out to food influencers via Instagram. These connections became my early beta testers, users, and eventually formed a community of superusers.
• Local organisations, associations and community
• Industry influencers 
• Friends and friends of friends! Don’t hesitate to engage the close circle in recruiting users for interview, but make sure you stick to personas you’ve created.

Step 4: Set Up a Tracking System

Organizing your interactions is crucial. Establish a system to track your outreach efforts, which can help you manage contact details, conversation notes, and follow-ups.

Step 5: Conduct Problem Interviews

Approach potential users with curiosity, not a sales pitch. This was a key lesson for me. Having genuine conversations rather than pushing an agenda opened doors to deeper insights.

I would start with a simple message like, “Hi [Name], I’m researching how professionals like you navigate [specific problem]. I’d love 15-20 minutes of your time to understand the challenges you face.” This approach led to honest discussions and valuable feedback.

Top 5 Questions to Ask:

1. What was the hardest thing you did when trying to solve a problem?
2. Tell me about the last time you encountered this problem.
3. What was hard about this?
4. What did you do to solve this problem?
5. What do you dislike about the solutions you have already tried?

What was the hardest thing you did when trying to solve a problem?

• This question helps identify the most significant challenges or obstacles faced during the problem-solving process. Understanding these hardships can shed light on pain points and areas where individuals or teams may need support or resources. It also provides insights into the complexity of the problem, which can inform future approaches.

Tell me about the last time you encountered this problem.

• This question prompts the user to share a recent experience, which can reveal current attitudes, emotions, and strategies related to the problem. It helps to contextualize the issue and allows for a more in-depth exploration of the problem dynamics. This can also highlight patterns or recurring themes in how the problem manifests.

What was hard about this?

• By focusing on specific difficulties, this question encourages detailed responses that can uncover underlying causes of frustration or inefficiency. Understanding what is hard helps in identifying aspects that may not be immediately obvious but are critical to effectively addressing the problem.

What did you do to solve this problem?

• This question reveals the actions taken by the user, providing insight into their problem-solving strategies and thought processes. It helps to evaluate the effectiveness of previous attempts and can highlight innovative solutions or approaches that may not be widely recognized.

5. What do you dislike about the solutions you have already tried?

•  This question uncovers dissatisfaction and limitations of existing solutions, for a better understanding of what needs improvement. Knowing what users or stakeholders dislike about previous solutions can guide the development of better alternatives that are more user-centered and effective.

Step 6: Analyze and Validate Your Findings

Talk to at least 15, ideally aiming for 20-30 conversations per type of persona So if you decide to change the persona you are aiming for, start counting over. After 8-12 talks you will start seeing the trends and understand the real pains of your users. This was one of the most enlightening parts of my journey.

Step 7: Add Value to Your Conversations

Encourage participation by offering something valuable in return. This not only fosters goodwill but also builds a network of advocates for your product.

I offered food photographers early access to my app’s new features and provided restaurant owners with a summary of my market research findings. This approach helped build trust and a sense of community.

Overall, navigating the complexities of an industry and understanding user pain points is a journey filled with challenges and discoveries. By following these steps, you can effectively identify problems and build meaningful relationships with your target audience. Remember, the key is to listen actively and remain open to learning from every conversation. This approach will also foster a community of advocates who believe in your vision.