Ask HN: How do you ask users about their pain point?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Cold outreach expectations

  • Several commenters say a ~1% interview rate on cold outreach is normal; 2–5% would be unusually good.
  • Given that many messages are lost in spam and recipients are busy, current numbers (≈25% connections, ≈0.5–1% interviews) are viewed as solid.
  • Some argue the real question isn’t “how to ask about pain points” but “how to find people to interview at all.”

Why doctors are hard to reach

  • Doctors are extremely time‑constrained, over‑targeted by sales, and wary of “research” doubling as a sales pitch.
  • Many don’t actively use LinkedIn; their inboxes are saturated with medical spam.
  • Several note that doctors often don’t control purchasing; administrators or practice owners do.

Finding interviewees

  • Start with “friendly first contacts” and warm referrals; ask for introductions during the call and have intros written on the spot.
  • Attend smaller, niche, industry‑oriented medical conferences; use professional associations and listservs; consider expert networks (paid).
  • Volunteer or work in hospitals/clinics (even non‑technical roles) to build relationships and observe workflows.
  • Target adjacent roles (nurses, practice managers, billers, technicians) or small private practices that act like small businesses.

Compensation and incentives

  • Many recommend offering an honorarium or meaningful gift (sometimes substantial for doctors) to signal respect and legitimacy; in practice, many interviewees decline payment.
  • Others worry this can attract low‑quality or insincere feedback, especially for small incentives like coffee cards.
  • There is disagreement on whether “if they need money, it’s not a real pain point”; some counter that busy professionals still need a reason to help.

How to ask about problems

  • Direct “What are your pain points?” is seen as too vague and unproductive.
  • Suggested alternatives:
    • Start from a concrete hypothesis (“we see many practices struggle with X; is that true for you?”).
    • Ask about “frustrations” rather than “problems,” or about most time‑consuming/error‑prone tasks, then rank them.
    • Focus on desired results/outcomes, not just pains.
    • Avoid pre‑sending detailed questions to prevent bias.
  • Multiple commenters emphasize observation and “boots on the ground” experience; users are often poor at articulating real problems vs. superficial complaints.

Domain choice and focus

  • Healthcare is described as a tough industry without connections or background; several suggest reconsidering it or narrowing tightly to a niche.
  • Commenters stress that many failed tools stem from shallow domain understanding; deep, unglamorous workflow problems may be the best opportunities.