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

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Founders trying to identify real “pain points” in healthcare face stiff barriers: doctors are overloaded, wary of sales tactics, and inundated with spam, so cold LinkedIn outreach typically yields low but actually normal response rates. Commenters argue that instead of broad, open-ended questions, entrepreneurs should start from specific hypotheses, leverage warm introductions, expert networks, or conferences, and often offer some form of compensation or value in return for clinicians’ time. Many emphasize that observing workflows, embedding oneself in the domain, and narrowing to a niche problem are more reliable paths to useful insights than simply asking professionals to enumerate their problems.

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.