How To Do User Research Like OpenAI

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, recently invited me to do a user research interview.

This is a must if you’re validating a product idea, creating a voice of customer strategy, or simply validating if a problem is worth solving.

There are a lot of things they did right, so I’m passing on these learnings as you develop your own products.

The basic structure looks like this:

1. Ask 

2. Observe 

3. Reward 

4. Leave the Door Open

You can leapfrog ahead just by observing what the big players do well.

1. Ask Your Customers What They Want

The first email OpenAI sent me looked like this:

$25 for 20 minutes?

Easy yes.

Unlike those timeshare traps at the Cancun airport that start with offering you a free car rental if you “stay for a lunch presentation” and end 4 hours later with you signing away your rights to ever buy from them if you say no.

(Ever experience that? Just me?)

Anyway, be upfront with what you want, respect their time, and lead with what’s in it for them.

You’ll build goodwill and a better product because of it. 

2. Observe How They Use Your Product 

The day after I received OpenAI’s email, we scheduled our interview.

Paul (name changed for this post) and I hopped onto GoogleMeet.

He wanted to know how I was using files with ChatGPT, so I shared my screen and walked through how I use chat.

Truth is, I rarely upload documents or PDFs. That’s because I mostly use it for idea generation and soundboarding more than data analysis.

When I do upload files, they are:

✔️ screenshots of tech that I’m troubleshooting so I can fix my own website or AI agents

✔️ photos of my plants that got sick so I can treat them

✔️ photos of me so I can looksmaxx my style, colors, and body language

“Is it fair to say when you upload photos, you’re on mobile, and when you’re troubleshooting, you’re on desktop?”

“Yes.”

“Would it be helpful if all the files you uploaded were in one place?”

“Not really. I don’t reference them once the problem is fixed. But I do wish I could access all the files ChatGPT generates for me.”

“Did you know you could see all the images ChatGPT creates for you in your library?’”

“No, where’s that?”

“It’s only on the ChatGPT web app.”

This interview was mutually beneficial because Paul could see how I use ChatGPT and test my interest in a file feature they’re developing.

At the same time, I learned how to get more from ChatGPT. 

3. Reward people for their time 

The interview ended in 20 minutes as promised.

Two days later, I got a link to a $25 credit I can redeem anywhere.

If you’re doing user research, partner with a site like TangoCard, which gives your clients the option to redeem gift cards through Visa or their favorite store.

If your budget is a constraint, a simple thank you goes a long way.

Especially as a small brand. If your clients know you, they want to help you.

That simple thank you may come back in the form of referrals or repeat business.

4. Leave the door open

Once I got the $25 delivery email, I was invited to stay in touch.

And that’s exactly what I did yesterday.

I went on a walk with a friend, put ChatGPT on voice mode, and recorded our brainstorming session.

We talked about repurposing her nutrition content ideas by approaching the same topic from different angles.

What could we say about B12 from a controversial POV?
What myth could we bust?
What’s a recent news story we could reference?

ChatGPT had turned all of these angles into ready-made scripts I could hand off to her, and then….I couldn’t share the chat. Sharing conversations with audio is not supported yet.

Luckily, I knew exactly who to contact to build out that feature.

Cross your fingers!

My Ask For You

I’m taking a page out of OpenAI’s book and have a question for you.

Right now, I’m designing a book club.

Starting in October, a small group of entrepreneurs is joining me to read The Artist’s Way.

It’s like a 12-step program to recover your sense of creativity. I leaned on it heavily to reconnect with my creativity, intuition, and vision after a season of burnout.

I’ve recommended it a lot throughout the year, and now I’m excited to build a community to support the experience.

We’re keeping it intimate - meeting twice a month.

Once in person. Once online.

That way you can go at your own pace and share insights with people at different parts of the journey.

If you’re interested in being a part of the book club, drop me a note to confirm.

And tell me:

What would be most valuable to you in a club like this?

Annabel