How to get feedback
How to Get Feedback
Everyone lies to you because they do not want to hurt your feelings.
Three Rules
- Talk about their life, not your idea.
- Ask about specifics in the past, not generic opinions about the future.
- Talk less, listen more.
Bad question:
Would you buy construction software I am building?
Better question:
How did you manage inventory when the cement shipment arrived late Tuesday?
Bad Data Still Happens
Compliments are not feedback.
That's awesome.
Answer:
Thanks. Walk me through the last time this problem happened.
Fluff is not feedback.
I usually do it this way.
Answer:
When was the last time? Show me what happened.
Feature requests are not feedback.
Can you make it sync to Excel?
Answer:
Why Excel? What does Excel let you do that the current tool does not?
In Meetings
- Ask "this might kill my business" questions.
- Keep it casual. Do not interrogate.
- Start broad: "What are your biggest headaches on site right now?"
Do not settle for:
Looks great. Tell me when you launch.
That is politeness, not demand.
Ask for a real cost:
- Time: "Would you test this with me next week?"
- Reputation: "Would you introduce me to your boss?"
- Money: "Would you sign an LOI or pay RM500 now?"
If they give none, they are not a customer.
Narrow The Customer
If the customer is "students," the feedback will be noise.
Narrow it:
Mid-sized G7 contractors in Subang who use Excel for GRN and have high employee turnover.
How To Ask For Meetings
- Vision: "I am trying to fix GRN for Subang mid-size companies."
- Framing: "I am not selling anything yet."
- Weakness: "I am an engineer, but I have no idea how actual site logistics work."
- Pedestal: "You've run 5 sites in Subang, so you know better than anyone."
- Ask: "Can I steal 10 minutes to learn how you handle it?"
What To Capture
- Prepare three hard questions.
- Record exact quotes.
- Capture emotion: angry about Excel, happy about WhatsApp.
- Share the notes. Do not become the learning bottleneck.
Source: The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick