Hey reader, if you enjoyed the high-level strategy about launching EdTech product - here’s where we get tactical.
In my earlier pieces on launching a product in the U.S. and testing growth levers, I focused on strategy-level insights and early experiments. But here, as a continuation of my exploration of what it really takes to build and grow EdTech products, I want to go deeper - into the practical side: the research rituals, user interview systems, and internal playbooks that helped me navigate launch, product-market fit, and the whole process from the ground up. Hey reader, if you enjoyed the high-level strategy about launching EdTech product - here’s where we get tactical. Hey reader, if you enjoyed the high-level strategy about launching EdTech product - here’s where we get tactical. In my earlier pieces on launching a product in the U.S. and testing growth levers, I focused on strategy-level insights and early experiments. But here, as a continuation of my exploration of what it really takes to build and grow EdTech products, I want to go deeper - into the practical side: the research rituals, user interview systems, and internal playbooks that helped me navigate launch, product-market fit, and the whole process from the ground up. In my earlier pieces on launching a product in the U.S. and testing growth levers, I focused on strategy-level insights and early experiments. But here, as a continuation of my exploration of what it really takes to build and grow EdTech products, I want to go deeper - into the practical side: the research rituals, user interview systems, and internal playbooks that helped me navigate launch, product-market fit, and the whole process from the ground up. launching a product in the U.S. launching a product in the U.S. testing growth levers testing growth levers practical side Why Just Talking to Users Isn't Enough We all love a good user interview. But most early-stage product teams fall into a dangerous pattern: they treat user feedback like gospel, but only collect it from one lens. The happy path user. The maybe-user. The person who clicked a button. Here’s the truth: users don’t always say what they really mean. They say what they think you want to hear. Or they describe an ideal version of themselves. Or they mask doubt with vague enthusiasm. And that’s how you end up building something based on aspirations, not reality. Here’s the truth: users don’t always say what they really mean. What I think works the best is multi-perspective discovery. That means talking to people beyond the people currently in your funnel. Especially in EdTech. multi-perspective discovery The 3 Groups of users You Actually Need to Interview I strongly believe that this approach is relevant not only for EdTech products, but to tech products in general. Here is my thought process. When you’re entering a new market or just creating a new product for the existing one - especially something as sensitive and personal as education - it’s tempting to only talk to your potential users. And yes, that’s crucial. But that isn’t enough. crucial In my experience when I launched EdTech products, I realized I needed a wider lens. So I spoke with three very different groups: Potential users - to really understand what was driving them. What were they afraid of? What were they hoping for? Why now? Not just what they wanted to learn, but why they were even looking.
Users of similar tools - this one’s underrated. I asked people who had tried platforms of our direct and indirect competitors, ‘What frustrated you? What made you stop? Why did you chose this service and approach instead of another one?’ You learn a ton from what didn’t work - sometimes even more than from what did.
And finally, the golden mine - I talked to a 2nd end-user group (yes, there is another one!) - because in EdTech, your learners aren’t the only end-users. If you think about it, you realize, that people spend money on learning something to transfer this knowledge somewhere else: academia, work, hobbies, their own startup ideas, etc. Their success often depends on whether hiring managers or institutions trust the outcome. In my case the 2nd user was the company, and so I wanted to understand what companies were actually looking for in candidates with the skills we were teaching, so I could align the product with realjob expectations and 2nd users expectations. Potential users - to really understand what was driving them. What were they afraid of? What were they hoping for? Why now? Not just what they wanted to learn, but why they were even looking. Potential users what why Users of similar tools - this one’s underrated. I asked people who had tried platforms of our direct and indirect competitors, ‘What frustrated you? What made you stop? Why did you chose this service and approach instead of another one?’ You learn a ton from what didn’t work - sometimes even more than from what did. Users of similar tools ton And finally, the golden mine - I talked to a 2nd end-user group (yes, there is another one!) - because in EdTech, your learners aren’t the only end-users. If you think about it, you realize, that people spend money on learning something to transfer this knowledge somewhere else: academia, work, hobbies, their own startup ideas, etc. Their success often depends on whether hiring managers or institutions trust the outcome. In my case the 2nd user was the company, and so I wanted to understand what companies were actually looking for in candidates with the skills we were teaching, so I could align the product with realjob expectations and 2nd users expectations. 2nd end-user group (yes, there is another one!) real Why do all this? Because I didn’t just want a nice user persona. I wanted a realistic, well-rounded user portrait from a 360 degree perspective - something that captured both the learner’s inner world and the external expectations they’d eventually have to meet. and A Quick Example: Two End-Users, One Product Imagine you're launching an EdTech product designed to help parents strengthen their bond with their children while talking about growing up. Your target audience may be parents, but your product actually has two end-users: the parents and their children. and If you build the product as just a list of informative articles, it might fall short. Why? Because you won’t address one of the core goals  -making the knowledge or skills easily transferable to the second end-user. easily transferable But if you frame your product strategy and user experience as something interactive, playful, and emotionally resonant - even if it's not directly designed for kids - parents will intuitively know how to adapt it. They’ll be better equipped to pass it on in a way that suits their child’s world. And that’s what strengthens the bond. directly that’s The Tools I Used during the Discovery phase (And Still Use) To keep it practical, here’s my stack: UserInterviews.com – to find qualified interviewees
Calendly + Zoom – to make it seamless
Maze – for async user testing
Notion + FigJam – to cluster insights and tag themes
Dovetail – for advanced tagging and analysis UserInterviews.com – to find qualified interviewees UserInterviews.com Calendly + Zoom – to make it seamless Calendly + Zoom Maze – for async user testing Maze Notion + FigJam – to cluster insights and tag themes Notion + FigJam Dovetail – for advanced tagging and analysis Dovetail And yes, I tag everything. Emotional drivers, practical blockers, confidence moments. I use themes like "friction," "fear of failure," or "unclear value." Building Real User Portraits (Not Personas) I use Jobs-To-Be-Done (JTBD) framework when interviewing users. This process helps me create what I call job-based user portraits. Let me give you two quick examples. Jobs-To-Be-Done (JTBD) job-based user portraits Job 1: Expand Without Starting Over Expand Without Starting Over Age: 30s to 40s, already working in tech-adjacent roles


Emotional driver: Future-proofing


Blocker: Fear of starting from scratch


Success = use new skills to level up inside current role Age: 30s to 40s, already working in tech-adjacent roles Age: 30s to 40s, already working in tech-adjacent roles Emotional driver: Future-proofing Emotional driver: Future-proofing Blocker: Fear of starting from scratch Blocker: Fear of starting from scratch Success = use new skills to level up inside current role Success = use new skills to level up inside current role Job 2: Stable Career, New Identity Stable Career, New Identity Age: 25–40, switching industries or unemployed
Emotional driver: Safety, confidence, identity
Blocker: Doubt. So much doubt.
Success = first job in several months, feeling proud of new path Age: 25–40, switching industries or unemployed Emotional driver: Safety, confidence, identity Blocker: Doubt. So much doubt. Success = first job in several months, feeling proud of new path When Do You Know You’ve Found the Real Need? When you can confidently finish this sentence: They’re hiring my product to help them __________. They’re hiring my product to help them __________. They’re hiring my product to help them __________. And that blank includes both a functional and emotional outcome. Not just "learn to do this & this," but "feel employable again." Not just "get into this industry," but "feel like I belong there." both When you hear the same fear, same goal, same driver repeated by people across 20–30 interviews? You’re onto something real. Final Thought If you only listen to the users you’re already attracting, you’ll build a product that fits them - and maybe no one else. But if you go wider - if you listen to the frustrated, the skeptical, the hiring manager who has to make the final call - you’ll build something much better: A product that fits real people.
A product that meets them where they are.
And maybe even one they didn’t know they were looking for. A product that fits real people. A product that meets them where they are. And maybe even one they didn’t know they were looking for. 👉 In the ext articles about EdTech product development I’ll write how to validate your product idea before launch, team rituals to stay alive during and after the launch and be calm, and what early-on metrics to track (spoiler alert - it is not a retention rate!) Stay tuned!

Finding THE Product Market Fit: Don’t Just Talk to Your Users

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