Methodology

Customer Research Templates for Mobile App Indies (2026)

Survey, interview, and observation templates for indie developers — get specific insights instead of generic feedback.

ASOhack TeamMay 19, 20266 min read

User research templates for indie developers. Ready to copy + adapt.

Survey templates

General feedback survey

Subject: Quick favor — 5 minutes of your time?

Hi [Name],

I'd love to learn how [App Name] has worked for you. The survey takes ~5 minutes.

[Link to survey]

This shapes our roadmap. Thanks!

[Your name]

Survey questions (general)

1. What's your name?
2. How long have you been using [App]?
3. How did you find [App]?
4. What's the main reason you use it?
5. What's been most valuable?
6. What's most frustrating?
7. What's one thing you'd change?
8. Would you recommend us? (NPS-style)
9. Anything else?

Specific feature survey

For a recent feature ship:

1. Have you used [feature]?
2. (If yes): What did you think?
3. (If no): Why not?
4. Is anything missing from [feature]?
5. Should we keep developing this direction?

Interview templates

General research interview (45 min)

Opening (5 min):
"Thanks for taking the time. I'm trying to understand how you use [App]. There are no right or wrong answers; I'm here to listen."

Behavior questions (15 min):
"Walk me through the last time you used [App]."
"What were you trying to do?"
"What worked? What was frustrating?"

Context questions (10 min):
"What's your job / role / situation?"
"How does [App] fit into your week?"

Comparison questions (5 min):
"What other apps do you use for [related task]?"
"How does ours compare?"

Needs questions (5 min):
"What would make your [related task] much better?"
"Have you tried other solutions?"

Closing (5 min):
"Thanks for this. Can I follow up if I have more questions?"

Lapsed user interview (30 min)

Opening (5 min):
"Thanks for talking with me. I noticed you stopped using [App] a couple months ago. I'd love to understand why."

Why they left (10 min):
"What was happening when you decided to stop using it?"
"Was there a specific event or just gradual?"
"Looking back, what would have kept you around?"

What they use now (10 min):
"What are you using for [task] instead?"
"How does it compare?"
"What's working better?"

Win-back potential (5 min):
"Is there anything we could build / change that would bring you back?"

Trial-but-not-paid interview (30 min)

Opening (5 min):
"You started a free trial of [App] but didn't convert to paid. I'd love to understand why."

The trial (10 min):
"What did you do during your trial?"
"Did you find value?"
"What stopped you from continuing?"

Pricing (5 min):
"Did pricing factor into your decision?"
"What would you have paid?"

Alternatives (5 min):
"Did you go with another solution?"
"What did you choose? Why?"

Future (5 min):
"Is there anything that would bring you back?"

Observation templates

In-app session observation

For users you can shadow:

What did the user do first?
What did they spend time on?
Where did they hesitate?
What did they NOT do that you expected?
Where did they exit?

Record + transcribe for analysis.

Public observation (analytics-driven)

For aggregate data:

- Which screen has highest drop-off?
- Which feature has lowest engagement?
- Which onboarding step takes longest?
- Which subscription tier converts most?
- Which markets convert worst?

Synthesis templates

Theme grouping

After 5-10 interviews:

Theme 1: [Title]
Mentioned by: [Number of users]
Verbatim quotes:
- "[Quote]"
- "[Quote]"
Action items:
- [What to do]

Theme 2: ...

Cluster into 3-5 themes.

Cohort segmentation

Segment 1: [Description]
Pain points: [...]
Use cases: [...]
Willingness to pay: [...]

Segment 2: ...

Helps you decide which cohort to optimize for.

Prioritization grid

After research:

HIGH IMPACT, EASY:
- [Item]
- [Item]

HIGH IMPACT, HARD:
- [Item]

LOW IMPACT, EASY:
- [Item]

LOW IMPACT, HARD: (skip)

Pick top 3 from the first two boxes.

Recruitment templates

Email to existing users

Subject: Quick chat?

Hi [Name],

I'm [founder name] from [App]. I'd love to chat for 30 minutes about your experience.

In return, I'll send you a $50 [gift card / extended trial / etc.].

Available [dates]?

[Your name]

Outreach to potential users

Subject: Quick question about [task]

Hi [Name],

I'm building [App] for people doing [task]. I'd love to learn how you currently handle this — 30 minutes, $100 for your time.

Available [dates]?

[Your name]

Reddit / community recruitment

Title: "Indie dev building [App] — would love to chat with 10 [audience]"

Body:
"Hi all! I'm building [App] for [audience]. I'd love to talk with 10 people who actively [do task] to understand your workflow.

30 minutes, $50 thank-you. No pitch; just listening.

DM if interested!"

How often to research

For indie scale:

Continuous

Read every review.
Engage on social.
Watch analytics weekly.

Periodic

Monthly: 1-2 user interviews.
Quarterly: deeper research period (10-15 interviews).
Pre-major-release: focused user research.

What to do with research