The difference between Product Discovery and User Research

Product Discovery and User Research are two of the main trends for Product Teams nowadays. A lot of books are written on those topics, podcast episodes are recorded and talks are made in various conferences around the world.

But the difference between product discovery and user research is not always clear. The difference between product discovery and user research is subtle but important.

Product discovery is about figuring out what problem your product solves. User research is about understanding how your product solves that problem for users.

In the early stages of a startup, it’s important to focus on product discovery. This is the phase where you’re trying to figure out what problem your product solves. You’re looking for a problem that is both important and underserved.

To do product discovery, you need to talk to potential customers. This is where user research comes in.

User research is about understanding how potential customers interact with your product. It’s about understanding their needs and pain points.

User research is important for two reasons. First, it allows you to validate your product idea. Second, it helps you understand how to build a product that solves the problem in the way that users want.

Don't forget your most important touchpoint: your product

User research is typically done through user interviews, but with a solution like Screeb you can also use your main touchpoint between you and your users: your product. Screeb will help you to understand how people are using your product, who are the main user segments you should focus on and to understand why they behave like this and what you should build next.

In a user interview, you’re trying to understand the following:

• What problem the user is trying to solve
• How the user is currently solving that problem
• What the user likes and dislikes about the current solution
• What the user’s current pain points are

User interviews are important, but they’re just one type of user research. There are many other types of user research, including surveys, focus groups, and usability testing.

It’s important to note that product discovery and user research are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they’re often done together. As you’re doing product discovery, you should also be doing user research. This will help you validate your product idea and understand how to build a product that users will love.