"Would you use this?"
Why users will say "yes" and it means nothing
If you keep seeing a gap between what users say and what they actually do, you might be asking questions that are impossible to answer honestly.
“Would you use this?”
“Do you like this idea?”
They sound like the right questions to ask if you want users to agree with you.
But they consistently produce useless answers.
Your users are not lying. These questions just give them nothing real to react to.
Saying “yes” is cheap. It costs no effort, no commitment, no memory. So people say it. Then you walk away feeling validated and build the wrong thing with confidence.
With bad questions, you extract what you want to hear, or what users think you want to hear.
With good questions, you have a chance to uncover real behavior.
Here are some examples of both, to show the difference is not subtle.
Bad:
“If we added a filtering feature, would you use it?”
People will almost always say “sure” to questions like this. It costs them nothing.
Saying yes doesn’t mean they need it, want it, or will actually use it.
What reveals real needs is what they already did when they ran into the problem.
Better:
“The last time you looked at this list, what were you trying to find? How did it go?”
Bad:
“Do you want a page that shows all your metrics in one place?”
This is a “why not” question.
A yes here doesn’t mean it’s the right solution, just that it sounds reasonable in isolation.
Opinions don’t tell you as much as behavior does.
Better:
“How do you currently check your metrics? Walk me through it.”
Bad:
“Is this workflow confusing?”
Yes/no questions kill investigations.
On top of that, framing it as “confusing” subtly puts the blame on the user. People get defensive.
Never make it about their competence. Make it about the product.
Better:
“What part of this workflow took you the longest to figure out?”
Bad:
“Wouldn’t it be easier if this were automated?”
This is a leading question. Don’t do this.
You’re suggesting a solution and offering help. Most people will say yes out of politeness alone.
That tells you nothing about whether they actually need it or would use it.
Better:
“What’s the most annoying part of doing this manually?”
Bad:
“Would you pay for this?”
They can say yes because, again, it’s free to say so.
They might also be trying not to discourage you.
Past behavior is a much better signal than future promises.
Better:
“Have you paid for something to solve this before? What was it?”
Bad:
“How do you usually manage your tasks within the team?”
This is too vague.
You’ll get generic answers that hide all the important details.
Zoom into a real moment instead.
Better:
“What did you do the last time a task was missed by a team member?”
Bad:
“Would notifications help you stay on top of this?”
You’re pushing your solution before understanding the context.
Now the conversation is biased.
First understand how the problem is handled today.
Better:
“How do you currently know when this needs your attention?”
Bad:
“Why didn’t you use this feature?”
Too generic. Most people don’t know the answer themselves.
You won’t get insight without walking through what actually happened.
Better:
“What happened when you tried to use this feature?”
Bad:
“Do you think this is a good idea?”
People try to be nice.
Even when they dislike something, they’ll soften it or avoid saying it directly.
Don’t ask for validation. Create a safer space for honesty.
Better:
“What would make this a bad fit for you?”
Bad:
“Is this problem painful for you?”
If there’s even a chance it might get fixed, people will say yes.
That doesn’t mean it’s important enough to act on.
Look for concrete cost.
Better:
“What does this problem cost you? Time, money, something else?”
Don’t let users speculate. Force them to remember.
When users describe what actually happened, what they tried, where they got stuck, what they did instead, you stop debating hypotheticals and start seeing patterns.
You don’t need users to design your product. You don’t need them to approve your ideas.
Ask about the last time.
Ask about the workaround.
Ask about the cost behind the pain.
Don’t settle for a nice conversation that leads nowhere.