🤔 How to Master the Lost Art of Non-Leading Questions...

5 benefits of asking non-leading questions in product feedback: Non-leading questions provide actionable insights beyond initial assumptions, help uncover the truth about product-market fit, keep development grounded by challenging assumptions, foster genuine user engagement without bias, and encourage comprehensive understanding by inviting open-ended responses.

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We can all agree on one thing – building something substantial and meaningful is no walk in the park. It's a journey laden with obstacles, complications, and inevitable setbacks.

And a simple "Hey, I like your product" skyrockets your morale so much, it can often lead you astray (we’re all human) and into posing leading questions. You know, those Qs that steer people towards giving you the answers you want to hear.

The thing is, it’s the hard ones, the answers you don’t want to hear, that you really need to grow.

What magic can non-leading questions work for you?

They might not always give you the praise you crave, but they can offer far richer rewards:

💡 Firstly, they can give you actionable insights that reach far beyond your current scope. Insights can guide your future tweaks, revamps, or even entirely new features. In other words, they can help you shape the future of your product.

🎯 Secondly, non-leading questions can bring you closer to that golden nugget we call the “truth”. If you're hunting for product-market fit, you need authentic and useful insights. That means feedback directly from users, without any subtle (or not-so-subtle) nudges from your end.

🌱 Lastly, they can keep you grounded. In the early days, you'll likely find that honest feedback can smash some of your cherished assumptions and elaborate ideas. But remember – this is a good thing! It's these reality checks that keep us humble, and more importantly, keep us innovating and improving.

So let's dive in and discover the art of asking non-leading questions…

Let them share their unique application or use case

• Leading: "This tool can be used for your work right?"
• vs
• Non-Leading: "How would you use this?"
  

Prompt them with new information

• Leading: "Would you share this information with your team?"
• vs
• Non-Leading: "What would you do with this information?"
  

Try to understand their process

• Leading: "And then you would use your card to pay, right?"
• vs
• Non-Leading: "What would you do next?" or "What's next?"
  

Allow them to express their feelings/thoughts

• Leading: "You're excited about your current task, aren't you?"
• vs
• Non-Leading: "How do you feel about what you're doing there?"

Direct attention without presumption

• Leading: "We really wanted that button to stand out, does it?"
• vs
• Non-Leading: "Go clockwise around this area and tell me what each piece means"
  

Invite them to elaborate on their own points

• Leading: "That strategy you mentioned earlier would increase profits, wouldn't it?"
• vs
• Non-Leading: "Expand on [that thing] you just mentioned"
  

Ask neutral questions

• Leading: "It looks like you had a good time?"
• vs
• Non-Leading: "What were your thoughts about the event?"
  

Avoid emotionally charged language

• Leading: "Wasn't it terrible when that situation occurred?"
• vs
• Non-Leading: "Can you describe your response to the situation?"

Break down complex questions

• Leading: "The movie and popcorn were great, weren't they?"
• vs
• Non-Leading: "Did you like the movie?" and "Did you like the popcorn?"

Now some leading questions might have their place, especially when you’re iterating with your team internally.

But practising how to ask non-leading questions in our own specific startup or business context can help us get the right types of insights, bring us closer to the truth, and keep us grounded.

Got a pet-peeve question to share? Or maybe some more insights on getting good-quality feedback? Hit reply and let us know.

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