User Discovery: How to Reach the Right People

Every product manager hears it: “Go talk to users.” But what if you don’t know how to find them? In this episode of The Product Porch, hosts Todd Blaquiere, Joe Ghali, and Ryan Cantwell tackle the challenge of getting in front of the right users for discovery—without relying on guesswork.We explore real-world strategies for identifying and connecting with users, whether you’re working in B2B or B2C. How do you leverage customer success and sales teams? What’s the best way to reach users when there’s a gatekeeper in the way? And how can you build a system that ensures continuous access to valuable user insights?If you’ve ever felt stuck wondering where to start, this episode delivers practical, battle-tested approaches to help you stop assuming and start learning from the right people.References & Links- Respondent.io- Guidepoint- Continuous Discovery Habits, by Teresa TorresTime Stamped Notes:Introduction[1:00] The Struggle to Find Users – Ryan shares frustrations with finding users for research.[2:00] Superman & Stats – Over 80% of new products fail—why?Why Customer Understanding Matters[4:30] Skipping Discovery? Big Mistake. – The risk of assumptions in product development.Finding B2C Users[5:17] Where to Start – Buyer vs. user personas and key differences.[6:10] No Users? No Problem. – Where to find early users.[8:40] Recruiting Tactics – Using tools like Respondent.io and direct outreach.Challenges in B2B Discovery[9:14] B2B Buyer Personas – Engaging decision-makers in complex sales.[10:28] Getting Past Gatekeepers – Building trust with sales and success teams.Overcoming Internal Barriers[13:57] WIIFM & Sales Buy-in – How to align with sales teams.[15:00] Prepping Stakeholders – Avoiding risks when bringing others into discovery.Finding B2B Users[18:20] Titles Don’t Unlock Access – Trust matters more than job roles.[20:30] The Power of Listening – Why humility is key to discovery.[22:30] Building Access Over Time – Joe’s "5-minute" method.Why Discovery Saves Money[24:16] The ROI of Discovery – Companies save 20-30% in development costs**.**Helping Teams Value Product Management[26:45] Todd’s Intro Formula – "My job is to add value to your life."[26:54] Sharing Learnings – Why knowledge-sharing strengthens teams.Finding Competitor’s Customers[27:54] Tactics for Competitive Research – Engaging users ethically.[30:02] Where to Look – Reddit, LinkedIn, industry events.[31:00] Paying for Access – Tools like Guidepoint deliver targeted insights.Working with Internal Users[34:25] Internal Customers – Are they easier to reach, or do we get lazy?[35:56] Risks & Landmines – Pitfalls when engaging internal users.Lightning Round: Best Interview Questions[38:07] Go-To Questions – How do you measure success? How painful is this problem on a scale of 1-5?[40:45] The Uncomfortable Pause – A simple but powerful interviewing technique.Takeaways[42:28] Key Lessons – Finding the right users, building internal trust, and making discovery a habit. Help keep the Product Porch lights on by giving at https://www.patreon.com/TheProductPorchJoin our email list and never miss an episode at theproductporch.com