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Founders often think market research means hiring a consulting firm, running a 1,000-person survey, or buying a $10,000 Gartner report. The reality: the best insights usually come from a 30-minute conversation with the right person — and that costs nothing.
5 Most Effective Free Methods
1. Problem interviews (Custdev): 20 × 30-minute interviews with potential users — ask about problems, not solutions. 2. Reddit/Discord communities: Read what users complain about in industry communities. 3. G2/Capterra reviews: Read competitor negative reviews — that's your feature backlog. 4. Job postings: What a company is hiring for tells you what problems they're solving. 5. LinkedIn Sales Navigator: 30-day free trial is enough to map your entire TAM and ICP.
“The best market research I ever did was a former support employee of a competitor. In 2 hours, I knew all their weaknesses and why customers were leaving.”