– The $0 Market Research Playbook for Startups and Small Businesses

The $0 Market Research Playbook for Startups and Small Businesses
Audience: founders and operators in their late 20s to early 30s who already know how to record and edit video/audio. The goal is to help you validate a problem, sharpen your offer, and find traction signals without spending a dollar.

Mindset and ground rules
– Speed over perfection: you’re looking for signal, not academic certainty.
– Talk to humans early: five well-run conversations beat 500 survey fills.
– Show, don’t ask: observe behavior and test offers, not just opinions.
– Keep receipts: record, transcribe, and tag everything so your insights scale.
– Ethics matter: get consent for recordings, don’t deceive with fake doors, and protect personal data.

Deliverables you’ll create (all free)
– A one-page research brief (your hypotheses and questions)
– A voice-of-customer (VoC) library (quotes, pain points, language)
– A competitor/proxy matrix (what exists, what’s missing)
– 10 problem interviews and 5 usability tests (recorded)
– 2–3 organic “offer smoke tests” (content with a clear CTA)
– A waitlist or early-access list with segmented tags
– A simple experiment tracker and go/no-go decision

Step 1: Write a one-page research brief (30 minutes)
– Problem hypothesis: what job are people trying to get done, and where do they struggle?
– Who: your best-guess segment (role, industry, life stage, budget, geography).
– Where they hang out: 5–10 online communities, keywords, and hashtags.
– Decisions to make: what this research will help you decide (positioning, features, pricing, channel).
– Success benchmarks: specific thresholds that would make you proceed, pivot, or pause (e.g., “≥40% of interviewees rate the problem 8/10 or higher”).

Step 2: Find your people, free
– Social/communities: Reddit (niche subreddits), Discord servers, Facebook Groups, LinkedIn groups, Slack communities, niche forums.
– Search tactics:
– “site:reddit.com/r/[niche] ‘I hate’ OR ‘so frustrating’ OR ‘how do you’”
– “inurl:forum How to do market research on a small budget. ‘recommendations’”
– Hashtags on TikTok/Instagram/YouTube Shorts to see what creators and comments reveal.
– Offline: events, meetups, campus groups, coworking spaces. Use quick “vox pop” interviews with your phone camera. Always ask for consent.

Step 3: Build a Voice-of-Customer (VoC) library (2–4 hours)
– Create a spreadsheet with columns: Source, Segment, Exact Quote, My Interpretation, Pain/Gain, Trigger/Context, Frequency, Intensity (1–5), Words they use.
– Mine:
– Product reviews (Amazon, app stores, G2/Capterra for B2B), blog comments, subreddit threads, YouTube comments.
– Transcribe your own quick interviews (use your camera/phone; leverage automatic captions to get a rough transcript you can clean).
– Tag patterns: “speed,” “cost,” “trust,” “confusion,” “status,” “integration,” “discoverability,” “shipping,” etc.
– Outcome: a ranked list of top pains in the customer’s words and a glossary of phrases to reuse in copy.

Step 4: Run 10 problem interviews in 48–72 hours (free recruiting)
– Screener (post in communities/DMs):
– “We’re speaking with [role] who [context]. 15 minutes on Zoom/phone. No pitch, just learning. You’ll get early access to results.”
– DM/email template:
– “Hey [Name]—saw your comment about [pain]. I’m interviewing a few [role] to map this problem. 15 minutes, recorded with your permission. In return, I’ll share a summary of what others are doing and give you early access if we build something. Interested?”
– Interview structure (15–20 minutes, record it):
1) Context: “Walk me through the last time this happened.”
2) Frequency and impact: “How often? What breaks? What did it cost you (time/money/sanity)?”
3) Current workaround: “What do you do now? What’s annoying about it?”
4) Alternatives tried: “What have you tried? What sucked? What almost worked?”
5) Buying triggers: “What would make you switch today?”
– Analysis:
– After each call, tag 3–5 highlights into your VoC library.
– Score problem intensity 1–5. If ≥6 of 10 rate the problem 8/10 or higher, that’s strong signal to keep going.

Step 5: Do a competitor and proxy teardown (2–3 hours)
– Competitors: list the top 5 that your interviewees actually mention, not just who you think.
– Proxies: products solving adjacent jobs (often better language to borrow).
– Matrix columns: ICP focus, top promise, proof (testimonials, case studies), feature edges, pricing anchor, distribution channel, churn clues (complaints), copy notes (exact words).
– Outcome: the whitespace you can own (e.g., “Everyone promises speed. No one shows outcomes for freelancers. Promising ‘done before your next coffee’ + freelancer case studies could stand out.”)

Step 6: Quick usability tests on your current asset (even if it’s only a landing page or video)
– Prepare 3 tasks tied to your goal, e.g. “Find the pricing,” “Explain what this does in one sentence,” “Sign up for early access.”
– Test with 5 people from your target segment (not friends if you can avoid it). Record screens + faces; ask them to think aloud.
– Success metrics:
– Task success rate ≥80%
– Time-on-task reasonable vs. your benchmark
– Comprehension: can they describe your value in their words, correctly?
– Fix obvious friction, retest with 3 more.

Step 7: Offer smoke tests using the content skills you already have
– Craft three 30–60 second videos with different angles:
– Pain-first: “You’re losing 6 hours/week to [pain]. Here’s the lazy fix.”
– Outcome-first: “Turn [undesired state] into [desired state] in 3 taps.”
– Proof-first: “We challenged 5 creators to [result]—here’s what happened.”
– Distribution (organic, free):
– Post on 2–3 platforms where your audience already engages.
– CTA goes to a free waitlist form (name, email, role, biggest pain, budget band).
– Benchmarks for traction (adjust by niche):
– View-to-click (or tap “Learn more”) ≥1–2% on at least one creative
– Comment quality: at least 5 comments asking “how?” “when?” or requesting access
– ≥50 qualified signups in 7–10 days for consumer or ≥15 for niche B2B
– Tight feedback loop:
– Reply to every serious comment with an invite to a short call or to your waitlist.
– Add a “What made you sign up?” required question to your form; copy the exact phrasing to your VoC library.

Step 8: Ethical “fake door” and waitlist
– Add a clear call-to-action on your site or social profiles: “Get early access” or “Join the pilot.”
– After the click, be transparent:
– “We’re testing demand while we build. Join the list, and we’ll share behind-the-scenes progress and early invites.”
– Measure:
– Click-through from landing to waitlist ≥20% suggests messaging–market fit.
– If <10%, revisit the promise and proof. Step 9: Price learning, free
– Use a short form to ask Van Westendorp-style questions:
– “At what price would you think it’s too cheap to be good?”
– “A bargain?”
– “Getting expensive but still worth it?”
– “Too expensive to consider?”
– Complement with a price ladder interview:
– After hearing their pain, ask: “If this solved it today, would $X/month be a no-brainer?” If yes, test $X+20–30%. If no, ask, “What would make it worth $X?” Capture objections and required outcomes.
– Never anchor on your cost; anchor on the outcome and alternatives they’re already paying for.

Step 10: Synthesize into decisions
– Jobs-to-be-done statement:
– “When [situation], [segment] wants to [job] so they can [desired outcome]. They struggle because [top 1–2 pains].”
– Positioning line options (reuse VoC language):
– “The fastest way for [segment] to [outcome] without [top pain].”
– Go/No-Go/Pivot gates:
– Problem intensity: ≥60% rate 8/10+
– Offer traction: hit at least one smoke-test benchmark
– Willingness to pay: a clustered “acceptable” price you can live with
– Channel clue: one repeatable place you can reach them organically

A 14-day $0 research sprint
– Day 1: Write your one-page brief. List 10 communities and 20 keywords/hashtags.
– Day 2: VoC mining pass 1 (collect 100 quotes). Build your tagging system.
– Day 3–4: Recruit and run 6 interviews. Tag highlights same day.
– Day 5: Competitor/proxy teardown. Draft first positioning line.
– Day 6: Build or tighten a simple landing page (or even a pinned social post) with your best promise and CTA.
– Day 7: Record 3 short videos for smoke tests. Queue posts.
– Day 8–9: Publish. Reply to comments/DMs, invite to calls. Run 4 more interviews.
– Day 10: Usability test your landing flow with 5 participants. Implement quick fixes.
– Day 11: VoC mining pass 2 (another 50 quotes). Update copy using exact phrases.
– Day 12: Price learning via form + 3 price-ladder interviews.
– Day 13: Synthesize. Decide Go/No-Go/Pivot using your gates.
– Day 14: Share what you learned publicly (build-in-public post) and invite more of the right people. This also recruits your next interview set for free.

Templates you can copy into a doc or notes app

– Interview invite DM
– “Hey [Name], I’m researching how [segment] handle [job]. Saw your comment about [pain]. 15 minutes, recorded with your permission. No pitch—just mapping what’s working and what’s broken. I’ll send you the summary and early access if we build it. Interested?”

– Interview opener
– “Thanks for taking the time. With your permission, I’ll record so I don’t miss details. First, tell me about the last time you dealt with [pain]. What sparked it?”

– Survey core (≤7 questions)
1) What’s the hardest part about [job]?
2) Tell us about the last time it was especially painful. What happened?
3) What have you tried? What almost worked?
4) If we could wave a magic wand, what outcome would you want?
5) How do you measure success today?
6) If this solved it, what would make it definitely worth paying for?
7) Email (for early access) and role/industry (for segmentation)

– Research log columns
– Date, Activity, Hypothesis, What changed my mind, Evidence (link to clip/quote), Decision, Next step.

– Experiment tracker columns
– Experiment name, Hypothesis, Asset (video A/B/C), Channel, Start/End dates, Primary metric, Threshold, Result, Decision, Notes.

Content-led research tactics (built for people who can record)
– Vox pops: 5–10 on-the-street or event-floor clips asking, “What’s the most annoying part of [job]?” Stitch into a montage to spot repeating language.
– Before/after diaries: Ask 3 users to screen record their current workaround for a week. You’ll see real friction and timings.
– Reaction tests: Film 3 hooks (headline + 10-second pitch). Ask participants to pick the most compelling and explain why while you record.
– Silent usability: Give a task and stay quiet. The gaps and hesitations reveal more than answers.
– Comment mining: Your own posts’ comments are research gold. Tag objections, confusions, and desired outcomes.

B2B vs. B2C nuances
– B2B: prioritize roles with budget authority; look for “trigger events” (new tool onboarding, headcount change, regulation). Case-study style content tests work well.
– B2C: optimize for emotion and identity. Short-form video with a clear transformation and social proof drives the cleanest intent signals.

What good signals look like
– People describe your value back to you correctly, in their words.
– They ask “When can I get this?” without prompting.
– They introduce you to peers or tag friends/colleagues.
– They push on specifics: “Does it work with [tool]?” “Can it handle [edge case]?”
– They accept a price conversation unprompted and anchor to outcomes (“I’d pay $X if it saves me Y hours/week.”)

Common mistakes to avoid
– Asking leading questions or pitching mid-interview.
– Letting surveys replace conversations.
– Over-indexing on likes/views; prioritize comments, shares, DMs, and signups.
– Ignoring segment differences; tag every data point with who it came from.
– Hiding behind “stealth”; secrecy kills feedback loops.

Lightweight privacy and ethics checklist
– Always ask for permission before recording and say what you’ll do with the data.
– Anonymize quotes when sharing publicly unless you have explicit permission to attribute.
– Don’t create deceptive “fake buy” buttons; frame them as early access or interest checks.
– Avoid scraping behind logins or violating community rules; be a good citizen.

Your zero-cost stack (use any free alternatives you prefer)
– Capture: phone camera, built-in screen recorder, video call recorder.
– Transcription: auto captions from your hosting platform; manual cleanup.
– Storage/organization: a shared drive or note app plus a simple spreadsheet for tags.
– Forms/waitlist: any free form builder connected to a spreadsheet.
– Analytics: native platform analytics for content and basic site stats.

If you only did three things this week
– Talk to 10 humans about their last painful moment with the job you’re targeting.
– Publish 3 short videos testing three different promises; drive to a waitlist.
– Build a VoC library with 150 real-world quotes and update your copy using their words.

Final note
You don’t need a budget to find truth. You need curiosity, a recorder, and the discipline to tag what you learn. Run the sprint, hit your gates, and let the evidence—not vibes—decide your next move.