Repeated Why Method

A deep dive into how Emmett Shear (Twitch founder) conducted user interviews to understand true user motivations, particularly in the early days of Twitch.

Core Interview Philosophy

• Don't ask users what to build - they aren't product managers
• Focus on understanding their mindset and motivations
• Accept their reality as base truth, but ignore their solution ideas
• Care fanatically about users as people while disregarding their product suggestions

Key Interview Questions

• Why are you streaming?
• What have you tried using for streaming?
• How did you get started?
• What's your biggest dream for streaming?
• What do you wish someone would build for you?
  • Follow up: Why would that make your life better?
  • This reveals the real motivation behind feature requests

What They Discovered

Three core motivations drove streamers:

• Making money
  • Even small amounts ($3/month) were exciting
  • The mere possibility of monetization was motivating
• Growing audience
  • Valued even single viewer increases
  • Cared deeply about audience growth
• Receiving positive feedback/validation
  • Wanted reassurance their content was valued
  • Sought connection with viewers

How to Apply Findings

• Ignore feature requests that don't serve core motivations
  • Example: Polls feature wasn't worth building because it didn't drive core metrics
• Focus only on features that directly impact:
  • Monetization
  • Audience growth
  • Viewer engagement/feedback
• Use these motivations as framework for all product decisions

Key Insight

• Users often request features (like a "big red button") but what they really want is the outcome (more fans, money, validation)
• Understanding these true desires helps build better products that actually solve user problems