Workshop

How to talk to Users: A hands-on workshop for founders and product teams

Beth Lingard

Product strategist, advisor, UXR expert

You're interviews aren't broken, your technique is

AI is changing how product teams work, but it hasn't changed what makes a user conversation useful. Most startup founders and teams find out the hard way.

You've talked to users. You took notes. But something felt off. The answers were too vague, too positive, or you weren't sure what to do with them afterward. That's not a you problem. It's a technique problem, and it's fixable. In 2- hours, you'll learn what actually works, and practice it live.

What you’ll learn

Walk away with a repeatable interview approach that actually surfaces insight, not just answers.

  • Learn why most interviews produce vague or overly positive answers

  • Practice the listening techniques that get people to say what they actually think

  • Use a question framework that consistently surfaces actionable insight

  • Recognize the difference between leading questions and ones that open up honest responses

  • Practice reframing common interview questions to remove bias

  • Build confidence asking follow-ups without steering the conversation

  • Learn to listen for and detect what's underneath the surface answer

  • Identify patterns in hedging, enthusiasm, and deflection

  • Practice interpreting responses in real time during live interview exercises

  • Walk away with a template you can adapt for discovery, usability, or concept testing

  • Understand how to structure an interview from warm-up to close

  • Know which questions to ask first, and why order matters

  • Understand what user conversations can and can't tell you

  • Learn why using interviews to answer the wrong questions leads to misleading results

  • Walk away with a clear framework for deciding when to talk to users and what to ask

  • Build a real guide during the workshop, not just a template to fill in later

  • Get live feedback on your questions from Beth

  • Leave with something you can use in your very next user conversation

Workshop agenda

  • Introductions and what to expect

    Get to know your peers and what they're building, review how we'll spend the next 2-hours.

  • What goes into "talking to users"

    Interviewing users is more than asking questions. We'll cover what goes into it so you know all the steps, understand what to do, and why it works.

  • Getting started with context

    We'll cover why understanding context comes before showing a user your product and how to design questions that open people up. Exercise: You'll write 2-3 context questions for your own product.

  • How to ask it better

    The words you choose determine what you hear. We'll cover open-ended questions, silence, mirroring, and what to do instead of asking "why."

  • Time to practice

    This is the heart of the workshop. Exercise: You'll write a brief discussion guide, then interview and be interviewed, with live feedback from Beth.

  • Reflections + Wrap up

    We'll debrief on your experience, what surprised you, and what you'd do differently. You'll leave with your discussion guide, a reusable template, and a 30-minute complimentary consultation with Beth.

Learn directly from Beth

Beth Lingard

Beth Lingard

Contact

20 yrs in product & UXR, ex-Meta AI, helping startups wrangle product discovery

See all products from Beth

Who this workshop is for

  • Founders and co-founders at startups who know they should be talking to users but aren't sure they're doing it right.

  • Product managers, designers, and engineers on startup teams who run user conversations without formal research training.

  • Early-career researchers who want to build their interview skills in a hands-on, low-stakes environment.

What's included

Beth Lingard

Live sessions

Learn directly from Beth Lingard in a real-time, interactive format.

Lifetime access

Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.

Discussion guide template

A reusable template you can adapt for any user conversation, including discovery, concept testing, or a first customer call. Structured so you know what to ask, in what order, and why.

Complimentary 30-minute consultation with Beth

A private 30-minute session with Beth to review your discussion guide, pressure-test your questions, or get advice on your research approach.

Maven Guarantee

Your purchase is backed by the Maven Guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

Maven for Teams

Reimbursement

Get your company to pay

Everything L&D needs: email template, receipts, and certificate of completion.

Get reimbursed

Team discount

Learn with your teammates

Save 20%+ when 2 or more teammates enroll in the same cohort.

Save 20%+ with a team

Private cohort

Run a cohort for your org

A dedicated cohort with a custom schedule and curriculum, tailored to your team.

Book a private cohort

$200

USD

Jul 10
Enroll