If you were asked to improve a product you had never used before, how would you figure out what its users actually need?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests customer discovery. Describes talking to real users, separating stated wants from underlying problems, and gives an example where evidence changed the plan.
• Strong answers: Talks to users directly, looks at existing data and support feedback, and focuses on problems rather than feature wish lists.
• Likely follow-up: How would you tell the difference between what users ask for and what they actually need?

Another way it may be asked: Say you join a team running a recipe app you have never opened. How would you find out what its users really need?

A structure to follow: Answer, explain, example, limits

1. Step 1

   Answer

   Give your direct answer in the first sentence so the interviewer knows where you are going.

2. Step 2

   Explain

   Say how it works or why you would do it that way, in plain words before jargon.

3. Step 3

   Example

   Anchor it in something you have actually done or seen, with the detail that shows hands-on experience.

4. Step 4

   Limits

   Say when your approach would not be the right one. It shows judgement.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Reciting a definition without showing you have applied it.
• Using terms you cannot explain if asked a level deeper.
• Claiming experience beyond what you can discuss in detail.

How to practise it

Say the answer in 90 seconds, then answer the follow-up as if it were a new question.

Related questions

• Describe a time customer research changed your mind about what to build.
• Imagine you have three feature requests and time to build only one. How would you decide which to do first?
• Tell me about a time you had to explain a complicated idea to someone without your background. How did you make sure it landed?
• Walk me through how you defined success for a feature you recently shipped, and which numbers you watched after launch.
• How do you work with engineers and designers to turn a rough problem into something the team can build? Give me a recent example.

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