Research that ships
Notes on asking better questions, reading what people actually wrote, and turning a pile of responses into something you can act on.
- People answer every survey question that can't surprise youPeople answer every list and score question and skip the open box. What 63 real responses show, what the research says, and how to ask so people write back.October 18, 2026 · 7 min read
- Open-ended vs closed-ended questions: when each one misleads youUse open questions when you don't know the answers yet, closed ones when you need to count them. How each format skews results, with a worked example.October 18, 2026 · 7 min read
- Newsletter reader survey questions: 12 to ask and how to read themKeep a reader survey to 5 to 8 questions: one score you repeat, one on why people read, one or two open questions. 12 questions to pick from.October 18, 2026 · 6 min read
- How to analyze open-ended survey responses, with a worked exampleLabel each reply by what happened, count the labels, then read the replies behind the biggest counts. A step-by-step method with a worked example.October 18, 2026 · 7 min read
- How many survey responses do you need? It depends on the questionAbout 385 replies to report a percentage within 5 points. Far fewer to hear the main things people say in writing. How to tell which number you need.October 18, 2026 · 6 min read
- "Why did you cancel?" is the wrong questionChurn surveys get vague answers because they ask people to explain themselves. Ask what they did instead, and the real reason shows up on its own.August 5, 2026 · 3 min read
- How to ask follow-up questions in user interviews without leading the participantUse neutral follow-ups to get clearer stories, not cleaner proof. Leading probes can distort recall and inflate confidence.August 5, 2026 · 4 min read