Meet User Interviews: The Future of User Research ft. Co-founder & CEO Basel Fakhoury
Learn how User Interviews is transforming the way companies conduct user research. Discover the platform that powers research at leading companies like Adobe, Microsoft, and Spotify!
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We spoke with Basel Fakhoury, CEO & Co-Founder of User Interviews
Current Work & The Story Behind the Venture
What are you currently working on? Can you share the story behind your current venture? What motivated you to pursue this path?
I’m the co-founder and CEO of User Interviews, the fastest way to recruit and manage participants for high-quality user research.
My co-founders and I actually started a different business, where we did no user research before launching. It, predictably, failed. As we were trying to understand how to make that product better, and eventually what product to pivot to, we got addicted to talking to customers to better understand their pain points.
Eventually we realized that participant recruitment was the biggest pain point for people doing research. Everyone we talked to said if recruitment was easier they would love to do more research. The combination of our passion about research, with the conviction that it recruitment was a major pain point gave us the confidence to launch User Interviews.
Connecting with the MENA Startup Community
Why are you interested in connecting with MENA's global startup community?
As someone with personal connections to MENA, it’s exciting to see the startup and tech community in the region grow and innovate.
Strategies for Securing Funding
What strategies have you found most effective for securing funding and attracting investors?
I try to build trust and relationships over time so that investors know me before I’m fundraising. The lead investors for my Series A and B both knew me for years beforehand.
Balancing Innovation and Practicality
How do you balance innovation and practicality when developing new products or services?
It’s important to make sure you are listening to your customers about their needs and trying to remove your own personal bias when deciding what to build.
Overcoming Challenges
Can you share a particular challenge or setback you experienced, and what you learned from it?
Launching the failed business before User Interviews was a huge setback. We learned it’s important to continuously talk with your customers to make sure you were building something they wanted.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to make an impact in the MENA region and beyond?
Hire the best team you can - at the end of the day your company is primarily the talent you bring in.
Favorite Viaka Network Moments & Connections
What's your favorite part of the Viaka Network thus far? Do you have any memorable experiences or helpful connections to share?
I’m impressed how fast the network has grown and the consistency and quality of the events.
Support from the Viaka Network
How can members of the Viaka Network (and beyond) be most helpful to you and your work right now?
If any product teams are trying to do research, please reach out!
Psst! Join the Viaka network now and unlock our exclusive Slack channel, along with many other benefits! Chat directly with members like Abe and others eager to share their expertise. Don't miss out!
Bonus: Favorite Dish from MENA
What is your favorite dish from the MENA world?
Mansaf!
Startup Showcase: User Interviews
What unique qualities or value does your product/service offer that sets it apart from others in the market?
Our Recruit product provides on-demand access to our network of 3 million research participants. You can target professional segments, demographic groups, consumer behavior, or any niche audience you’re looking for. Launch a study in minutes, source participants in hours, and complete your research in days. You’re guaranteed to get detailed feedback and quality insights from our top-rated panel.
Research Hub is a CRM for teams that do user research at scale. Build your panel of thousands (or millions) of users, then allow every researcher in your organization to self-serve recruitment and automate their studies.
What’s the most exciting feedback you’ve received from your users?
I love when people tell us we’ve allowed them to do more research (and therefore build more user-centric products). The most exciting feedback is when I hear about people referring User Interviews to other researchers and bringing it with them to new companies.
What kind of impact do you hope your product will have in the market? Where do you see your company headed in the next few years?
We hope that we continue to help teams do more research and therefore discover and use qualitative insights in their decision making.
Follow User Interviews on LinkedIn and head over to their website for more information.
🪐 Events within the Viaka network & beyond:
Building Your Brand Strategies Masterclass with Orange Corners- September 24th (Virtual)
TechWadi Startup Pitch Night w/ Algerian Startups- September 25th (In-Person, Downtown Palo Alto, SF)
Women in Technology - September 25th (In-Person, Sharjah, UAE)
Habibits: a side event for all Arab founders, Arab investors, Arab operational staff, and everyone interested in getting to know the community- September 30th (In-Person, DE, Munich)
Techspo Dubai 2024- October 1st- 2nd (In-Person, Dubai, UAE)
If you’d like to share an event in this newsletter, we encourage you to join the Viaka Network and share the event with info@viaka.net!
🆙 Click above for access to our regularly updated job database, including new opportunities and talent open to work. 💡 If you apply, let us know so we can make a personal introduction!🤝
If you’d like to share a job posting in this newsletter, we encourage you to join the Viaka Network and share the event with info@viaka.net!
That’s it for this week. Thank you! 👋
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