346 lines
13 KiB
Markdown
346 lines
13 KiB
Markdown
|
# Customer Research — Source Guides
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Detailed, source-by-source playbooks for gathering customer intelligence from online watering holes.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
---
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
## Reddit Research
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Finding the Right Subreddits
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Start by identifying where your ICP spends time, not where your product is discussed.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**Discovery methods:**
|
||
|
|
- Search `site:reddit.com "[job title] tools"` or `site:reddit.com "[problem category] software"`
|
||
|
|
- Use [subreddit search tools](https://www.reddit.com/subreddits/search) with problem-space keywords
|
||
|
|
- Look at what subreddits show up in Google results when you search ICP problems
|
||
|
|
- Check what subreddits competitors' customers mention in reviews
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**Common high-value subreddits by category:**
|
||
|
|
- B2B SaaS: r/sales, r/marketing, r/entrepreneur, r/startups, r/smallbusiness
|
||
|
|
- Dev tools: r/programming, r/devops, r/webdev, r/cscareerquestions
|
||
|
|
- Analytics/data: r/analytics, r/dataengineering, r/BusinessIntelligence
|
||
|
|
- Marketing: r/PPC, r/SEO, r/emailmarketing, r/content_marketing
|
||
|
|
- HR/recruiting: r/recruiting, r/humanresources, r/jobs
|
||
|
|
- Finance/ops: r/accounting, r/financialplanning, r/projectmanagement
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Search Operators
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
```
|
||
|
|
site:reddit.com/r/[subreddit] "[keyword]"
|
||
|
|
site:reddit.com "[problem]" "recommend" OR "suggestion" OR "alternative"
|
||
|
|
site:reddit.com "[competitor name]" "vs" OR "alternative" OR "switched"
|
||
|
|
```
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### What to Look For
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**High-signal post types:**
|
||
|
|
- "What tools do you use for X?" → reveals alternatives and vocab
|
||
|
|
- "Frustrated with [competitor], looking for alternatives" → reveals pain and switching triggers
|
||
|
|
- "How do you handle X?" → reveals workflow and workarounds
|
||
|
|
- "Is [your category] worth it?" → reveals objections and evaluation criteria
|
||
|
|
- Complaint threads about competitors → reveals gaps you might fill
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**What to extract:**
|
||
|
|
- The exact problem described in the post
|
||
|
|
- Top-voted solutions (what do practitioners actually recommend?)
|
||
|
|
- Complaints about existing solutions in comments
|
||
|
|
- The language used — note specific words and phrases
|
||
|
|
- Upvote patterns — consensus vs. controversy
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Tools
|
||
|
|
- Reddit's native search (limited but fast)
|
||
|
|
- Google: `site:reddit.com [query]` (better results)
|
||
|
|
- Pullpush.io — search archived Reddit posts (good for older threads)
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
---
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
## G2 and Review Site Mining
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Your Own Product Reviews
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Read in this order for maximum signal:
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
1. **3-star reviews** — these are the most honest. Customer liked it enough to stay but felt something was missing.
|
||
|
|
2. **1-star reviews** — understand the failure modes. Separate product issues from support/onboarding issues.
|
||
|
|
3. **5-star reviews** — extract the "what they love" language. These are your proof points.
|
||
|
|
4. **4-star reviews** — often contain "the only thing I wish…" buried in praise.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**What to extract:**
|
||
|
|
- What they say they use it *for* (the job to be done)
|
||
|
|
- What they say is hardest or most frustrating
|
||
|
|
- What they compare it to ("coming from [X]", "better than [Y]")
|
||
|
|
- Industry and role signals in reviewer profiles
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Competitor Reviews on G2
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
The 4-star competitor reviews are gold — customers who like the product but still have complaints.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**G2 structure to exploit:**
|
||
|
|
- "What do you like best?" → their strengths (your battlecard intel)
|
||
|
|
- "What do you dislike?" → their weaknesses (your opportunities)
|
||
|
|
- "What problems are you solving?" → the job to be done
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**Capterra** has similar structure. **Trustpilot** skews B2C. **AppSumo** reviews are useful for SMB/prosumer SaaS.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Review Mining Template
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
For each competitor's 4-star reviews, extract:
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
| Category | Notes |
|
||
|
|
|----------|-------|
|
||
|
|
| Job to be done | Why do they use the product? |
|
||
|
|
| Top praise | What do they love (and might be hard for you to match)? |
|
||
|
|
| Top complaint | What frustrates them? |
|
||
|
|
| Switching context | Did they mention switching from something else? |
|
||
|
|
| Unmet need | "I wish it could…" or "It would be better if…" |
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
---
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
## Indie Hackers and Product Hunt
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Indie Hackers
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Strong signal for founder/builder/SMB ICP.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**Where to look:**
|
||
|
|
- "Ask IH" posts: questions about problems your product solves
|
||
|
|
- Milestone posts: when founders describe their stack, they reveal tool preferences and pain
|
||
|
|
- Comment threads on product launches in your category
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**Search:** `site:indiehackers.com "[problem]"` or use IH's native search.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Product Hunt
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**Discussion tabs** on competing products are a research goldmine:
|
||
|
|
- Questions asked = pre-sales concerns = objections
|
||
|
|
- Comments = early adopter reactions = leading indicators of reception
|
||
|
|
- "Alternatives to X" collections reveal the competitive landscape as users see it
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
---
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
## Hacker News
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Strong signal for technical/developer ICP. Skews toward builders and skeptics.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**High-value searches:**
|
||
|
|
- `site:news.ycombinator.com "[competitor or category]"`
|
||
|
|
- HN "Ask HN: best tools for X" threads
|
||
|
|
- "Show HN" posts for competitors — read the skeptical comments
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**What's different about HN:**
|
||
|
|
- Users are more likely to critique underlying architecture and business model
|
||
|
|
- Strong opinions about pricing models (especially anything subscription-based)
|
||
|
|
- First principles objections you might not hear elsewhere
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
---
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
## LinkedIn Research
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Posts and Comments
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Search for posts by practitioners describing their workflows:
|
||
|
|
- "[Role] at [company size]" + problem keyword
|
||
|
|
- "We used to [old way] but now we [new way]" stories
|
||
|
|
- Posts asking for tool recommendations get comments from active buyers
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Job Postings
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
A job posting is a company's admission of a pain point.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**What to look for:**
|
||
|
|
- What tools are listed as "nice to have" vs. "required"? (reveals stack and adjacent tools)
|
||
|
|
- What metrics and outcomes are mentioned in the role description?
|
||
|
|
- What does the role spend most of its time doing? (reveals the job to be done)
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**Search:** `site:linkedin.com/jobs "[role title]" "[relevant tool or category]"`
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
---
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
## YouTube Comments
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Finding High-Signal Videos
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
- Tutorial videos for problems your product solves
|
||
|
|
- "Best tools for X in [year]" roundup videos
|
||
|
|
- Competitor product demos and walkthroughs
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**What to look for in comments:**
|
||
|
|
- "Does this work for [specific use case]?" → edge cases and unmet needs
|
||
|
|
- "I tried this but…" → failure points
|
||
|
|
- "What about [competitor]?" → active evaluation
|
||
|
|
- Timestamps with questions → confusion points in the workflow
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
---
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
## Twitter / X Research
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Search Operators
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
```
|
||
|
|
"[competitor]" -filter:replies min_faves:10
|
||
|
|
"[problem keyword]" "anyone know" OR "recommend" OR "alternative"
|
||
|
|
"[category] is broken" OR "frustrated with [category]"
|
||
|
|
```
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### What to Find
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
- Real-time complaints about competitors
|
||
|
|
- Practitioners discussing their stack
|
||
|
|
- Influencers/thought leaders your ICP follows (useful for distribution)
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
---
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
## Blog Post and Forum Research
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Comparison Content
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Google: `"[competitor 1] vs [competitor 2]"` or `"best [category] software [year]"`
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Read the comments on these posts — people who find comparison content are actively evaluating. Their comments are questions your sales process should answer.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Niche Communities
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
- **Slack communities**: Many industries have public or semi-public Slack groups. Search "[industry] Slack community".
|
||
|
|
- **Discord servers**: Growing for developer and creator communities.
|
||
|
|
- **Facebook Groups**: Still strong for SMB, e-commerce, agency, and coach/consultant ICP.
|
||
|
|
- **Circle/Mighty Networks communities**: Check if there are paid communities in your ICP's space.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
---
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
## B2C and Consumer App Research
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
B2C research requires different sources than B2B SaaS. Consumer buyers don't congregate on LinkedIn or G2 — they leave traces in app stores, social media, and communities built around the activity your product serves.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### App Store Reviews (iOS App Store / Google Play)
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
One of the richest unfiltered sources for mobile/consumer products.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**Read in this order:**
|
||
|
|
1. **1-2 star reviews** — failure modes, unmet expectations, frustration peaks
|
||
|
|
2. **3-star reviews** — honest tradeoffs and "it's good but…" feedback
|
||
|
|
3. **5-star reviews** — what they love in their own words (proof points and positioning)
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**What to extract:**
|
||
|
|
- What job they hired the app to do ("I use this to…")
|
||
|
|
- The moment it stopped working for them
|
||
|
|
- What they compared it to or switched from
|
||
|
|
- Emotional language — "I love how…", "I'm so frustrated that…"
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**Search tip:** Sort by "Most Recent" to get fresh signal, then "Most Critical" for pain themes.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Amazon Reviews (for physical products or software with Amazon presence)
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Same priority order as app stores: 3-star reviews first.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**G2 analog for consumer SaaS**: Trustpilot, Sitejabber, and product-specific review aggregators.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Reddit Consumer Communities
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
B2C Reddit is highly vertical — go to the hobby/lifestyle subreddit, not the general ones.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**Examples by product type:**
|
||
|
|
- Fitness apps: r/running, r/loseit, r/fitness, r/MyFitnessPal
|
||
|
|
- Personal finance: r/personalfinance, r/financialindependence, r/ynab
|
||
|
|
- Productivity/notes: r/productivity, r/Notion, r/ObsidianMD
|
||
|
|
- Travel: r/travel, r/solotravel, r/digitalnomad
|
||
|
|
- Parenting: r/Parenting, r/beyondthebump, r/daddit
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**Search pattern:** `site:reddit.com/r/[community] "[app name OR problem]"`
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### TikTok and Instagram Comments
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
High-signal for consumer products with visual/lifestyle appeal.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**How to find signal:**
|
||
|
|
- Search TikTok for "[product name] review" or "is [product] worth it"
|
||
|
|
- Watch the top 5-10 videos; read ALL comments — not just likes
|
||
|
|
- On Instagram, check tagged posts from real users (not brand posts)
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
**What to extract:**
|
||
|
|
- Questions in comments = unmet needs or unclear positioning
|
||
|
|
- "Does this work for…?" = jobs they want to hire it for
|
||
|
|
- "I switched from X" comments = switching triggers
|
||
|
|
- Complaints about price, missing features, or broken promises
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### YouTube Comments (Consumer)
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Same approach as B2B but different video types:
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
- "X app honest review" or "X app after 6 months"
|
||
|
|
- "Best [category] apps [year]" comparison videos
|
||
|
|
- Unboxing or "setup" videos for hardware/physical products
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Comments on review videos are especially valuable — these are people actively in the consideration phase.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Consumer Community Platforms
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
- **Facebook Groups**: Still dominant for many consumer verticals (parenting, fitness, local services, hobbies)
|
||
|
|
- **Discord servers**: Growing for gaming, creator tools, productivity, crypto, lifestyle communities
|
||
|
|
- **Nextdoor**: Useful for local service businesses
|
||
|
|
- **Quora**: Long-form questions reveal decision anxiety and evaluation criteria
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
---
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
## Organizing Your Research
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Use a simple tagging system across all sources:
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
| Tag | Meaning |
|
||
|
|
|-----|---------|
|
||
|
|
| `#pain` | A problem or frustration |
|
||
|
|
| `#trigger` | An event that prompted the search |
|
||
|
|
| `#outcome` | What success looks like |
|
||
|
|
| `#language` | Exact phrases worth using in copy |
|
||
|
|
| `#alternative` | Another solution they considered or use |
|
||
|
|
| `#objection` | Reason to hesitate or not buy |
|
||
|
|
| `#competitor` | Anything about a competing product |
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Keep a running doc with columns: Source | Date | Quote | Tags | Notes
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
After 20-30 entries, patterns will emerge. Look for quotes that appear in multiple unrelated sources — those are your highest-confidence insights.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
---
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
## Source Reliability and Confidence Scoring
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Not all sources carry equal weight. Use this guide when assigning confidence labels.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Source Weighting
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
| Source | Signal Strength | Bias to Note |
|
||
|
|
|--------|----------------|--------------|
|
||
|
|
| Customer interviews (unprompted) | Very high | Small sample; selection bias toward engaged customers |
|
||
|
|
| Win/loss interviews | High | Recent memory only; rationalization common |
|
||
|
|
| App store / G2 reviews | High | Skews toward strong opinions (love or hate) |
|
||
|
|
| Reddit / community posts | Medium-high | Skews technical, skeptical, vocal minorities |
|
||
|
|
| Support tickets | Medium | Skews toward problems; silent majority not represented |
|
||
|
|
| Survey (open-ended) | Medium | Primed by question framing |
|
||
|
|
| Survey (multiple choice) | Low-medium | Artifacts of the options you provided |
|
||
|
|
| NPS verbatims | Medium | Correlates with score; prompted by the survey moment |
|
||
|
|
| YouTube/TikTok comments | Medium | Skews toward engaged viewers; social performance |
|
||
|
|
| Job postings | Low-medium | Aspirational, not necessarily reflective of current pain |
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Confidence Labels in Practice
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
When presenting insights, lead with confidence:
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
```
|
||
|
|
[HIGH CONFIDENCE] Customers feel overwhelmed by manual reporting — appears in 12 of 20 interviews,
|
||
|
|
4 Reddit threads, and is the #1 complaint in 3-star G2 reviews. Consistent across SMB and mid-market.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
[MEDIUM CONFIDENCE] Customers compare us to spreadsheets more than to direct competitors —
|
||
|
|
mentioned in 6 interviews and 3 Reddit threads, but not yet seen in review data.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
[LOW CONFIDENCE] Enterprise buyers may have procurement concerns — mentioned by 2 interviewees
|
||
|
|
from companies 500+. Needs more signal before acting on it.
|
||
|
|
```
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
### Recency Window
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
- **Use as primary source**: Data from the last 12 months
|
||
|
|
- **Use with caution**: 12-24 months (product and market may have shifted)
|
||
|
|
- **Use only for baseline context**: 2+ years old
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
When a theme appears consistently across old and new data, that's a durable signal worth acting on.
|