According to a recent study by CB Insights, the top reasons why startups fail include:

• No market/user need
• Poor quality product
• Getting outcompeted
• Failure to pivot

Most of these reasons - either directly or indirectly - involve the user. But there's good news: User research can help you steer clear of these pitfalls.

Validate if there is a need for your product by talking to people to understand how they’re doing things now

Is there a risk you’ve started developing something that nobody needs?

Before diving into product development, invest time in talking to your potential customers to learn more about their needs. Arrange Zoom interviews with them to understand any pain points and workarounds in your problem space and identify opportunities. Ask them to walk you through how they currently overcome the problem your startup aims to solve. Listen carefully, have an open mindset, and take plenty of notes.

This approach will give you an evidence-backed perspective on your problem space before you start developing solutions. Be customer centred rather than product centred and evidence a strong need first, then design your product to meet the need.

Prioritise usability and test your product with potential customers

Is your product clunky, or does it require an instruction manual to use?

Having a usable (or user-friendly) product means people should be able to use your product first-time and if it’s good enough, they’ll return.

You can check how usable your product is initially by using Nielsen’s usability heuristics and testing it with people. Observing how people interact with your product is key and making improvements based on their feedback will greatly improve the usability of your product and it will help your team get in the head of the customer.

Usability testing is easy to set up in person or online, but you should always include a good cross-section of people, including those from marginal groups to make sure your product works for everyone.

Test your competitor’s products to see how well they meet people’s needs

Is a competitor doing things better and you’re getting left behind?

Keeping an eye on the competition is healthy and you can learn a lot by doing research on your competitor’s products as well as yours. Run usability testing sessions over Zoom on your competitor’s products to understand where they excel and where they falter. This will not only give you a benchmark to work with, but it will also give you insights into potential differentiation opportunities, ensuring you always have the edge.

In addition to doing competitor testing, you could also do some desk research to compliment your findings and perform competitor analysis (e.g., SWOT) and do social media monitoring.

Time to pivot? Use data to inform your thinking and validate your assumptions before taking action

Are you too focussed on getting to your destination to notice that the ship is sinking?

Your customers are a goldmine of insights. You should be product testing and engaging with your customers regularly to understand their evolving needs and pain points. To get a fuller picture of the ‘as-is’ and avoid bias in your decision-making, look at data from all angles and sources.

Monitor feedback channels and social media pages, as they are often the first places where trends and sentiments become evident. Talk to your customer service team to understand any common issues they’re dealing with and set up your web analytics dashboard to monitor anything you find out. Get together with your team regularly and map out your questions and assumptions with evidence to understand any gaps or problem areas to focus on next.

Conclusion

The tech landscape changes rapidly but if you’re doing any of the regular engagement and testing with your customers, you’ll be more aligned with their needs. When you keep the user at the heart of all decisions, your startup will not only survive but it will thrive.