Why Research Non-Users of Your Product

When it comes to product research, product managers (PMs) often focus on understanding their current users: refining user experience, launching new features, testing responses, and then analyzing results. It’s a tried-and-true approach, but what if I told you it might overlook a major opportunity?

Imagine this:

You work in a highly competitive market with only a 5% share. Over the past year, you doubled your user base—an impressive feat by any standards. Your market share has jumped from 2.5% to 5%, which is certainly cause for celebration! But, taking a different perspective, this means the portion of potential customers who don’t use your product has only shifted from 97.5% to 95%. Less thrilling, right?

At this point, you might start thinking, “Should I be learning more about the non-users who continue to choose other options?” Here’s why the answer should be a resounding yes.

1. Tap into Untapped Growth Potential

Non-users represent a vast, relatively unexplored potential for growth. Even a modest gain—say, capturing an additional 5% of these non-users—could double your market share. Sounds tempting, right? By understanding why non-users choose other options, you can uncover significant insights to guide your growth strategy.

2. Discover Unexpected Market Insights

Consider this scenario: Your competitor’s product stands out for its unique anime-inspired theme—a seemingly niche design choice that you might never have considered. However, it resonates with a segment of your audience that values self-expression and unique aesthetics. By talking to non-users, you can discover these often-overlooked nuances that could redefine your product’s appeal and even inspire new features.

3. Identify Unresolved Problems

Your users may offer helpful feedback, but their needs and experiences don’t necessarily represent the market as a whole. Non-users likely differ in critical ways that go beyond product selection. Understanding their unique pain points—issues that your current product doesn’t address—can be the key to unlocking your next growth phase. As a researcher, these insights could provide a whole new angle for testing and capturing a larger share of the market.

This isn’t a revolutionary secret, but many PMs skip researching non-users, partly because it’s harder. Engaging with current users is simple, accessible, and often free—they’ll often let you know about issues themselves! Non-users, on the other hand, require effort and can be challenging to reach.

However, tools like Fastuna and Yasna are now making it easier to access insights from any audience—current users and non-users alike. Within 24 hours, you can get a clear picture of what your potential customers are looking for, so you can make data-driven decisions and capture that untapped market potential.

If you’re aiming to scale in a meaningful way, start by investigating those who aren’t yet sold on your product. Because, as we’ve seen, doubling down on non-user insights could very well be your next growth frontier.

Yasna.ai — your assistant for conversations with real people, regardless the scale and geo.

Yasna is Ideal for Exploration, Ideation and Validation

What can you do with conversational research?

Implementing AI into concept development.

Trusting AI moderation.

Insights from festive ads.