Stopped Asking People What They Think

Ask someone what they think of your product and you get a polite opinion with nothing underneath it.

Ask them what they did last time they used it and you get a story. A specific moment. The thing that broke, the thing they skipped, the thing that surprised them.

The stories are worth more than the opinions. Every time. An opinion is a guess about their behavior. A story is their behavior.

I changed every conversation I have with users because of this. Not what did you think, but show me the last time you used it. The answers are harder to get and they are the ones that actually change things.

Are you collecting opinions or stories? And which one has actually changed your product?