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Uncovering Google Ventures’ UX Research Secrets: Insights I Learned from Michael Margolis
Recently, I had the opportunity to listen to a podcast featuring Michael Margolis, UX Research Partner at Google Ventures. This episode titled “Finding Your Bullseye Customer” stood out because Michael’s insights on UX research aligned with many of the practices my team and I use at btrax.
Michael Margolis and his team also put together a handbook called Learn More Faster, which is available as a free PDF and has been a go-to resource for me lately.
5 Quality Bullseye Customers
In San Francisco, I often meet entrepreneurs creating their first products. When I ask who their target audience is, they often say, “Everyone—young, old, male, female…we want to include everyone.” This always worries me. How can a marketing or research team get useful insights from a product meant for everyone?
With over three years of UX research experience working with 20+ product teams, I’ve seen how tough it is to take such a broad approach. Michael Margolis describes the “bullseye customer” as someone defined by their traits, behaviors, and past experiences—not just demographics.
He stresses the importance of focusing on a specific group of customers who are most likely to use a product or service.
His main tip is to interview five carefully selected bullseye customers in one day, making sure to pick the right people and compensate them fairly.
What stood out to me was how he recommends judging a participant’s professionalism before the interview even starts, like by looking at how quickly they respond to emails.
I’ve noticed this too—people who don’t respond quickly tend to be less engaged, which makes it harder to get useful insights. It was nice to hear that this is a common experience.
It was also interesting to learn that even Google Ventures uses platforms like Userinterviews.com and Respondent to find participants just like we do at btrax. For hard-to-find candidates, get creative with how they search, and it was reassuring to know that even Google Ventures doesn’t have a ready-made list for those types of participants.
3 Prototypes for Nuanced Feedback
In the Design Thinking workshops I’ve run, we usually use mock wireframes during interviews. We typically prepare two prototypes, but Michael’s idea of showing three options really stood out to me.
Having three choices encourages participants to think more critically, which leads to better feedback about what they like and why.
With AI tools making prototype creation faster, this approach could be a great way to dig deeper into what the audience really needs.
1 Watch Party for Quick Alignment
Michael had a great idea: conduct all the interviews in one day with full stakeholder involvement.
The Watch Party method includes:
- Getting everyone aligned on goals and key questions before the interviews.
- Watching the interviews live through a stream.
- Reflecting on them right after.
Preparing the right questions is crucial, and stakeholders should help with that. One question that stood out to me was, “What keeps you up at night?” It helps move founders away from just focusing on the tech and gets to honest, unfiltered user insights.
Michael also recommends booking team calendars in advance—for the day before, interview day, and a follow-up session within 24 hours. This is especially important for cross-border projects with limited overlap in working hours.
From my experience, the best insights often come right after interviews. Waiting too long to analyze can introduce biases from office politics, media trends, or other distractions. Staying close to the raw data keeps the insights clear.
I also love the idea of involving clients in the sessions. Instead of giving them polished reports, we could save time and money by sharing real-time insights through watch parties.
Learning More, Faster
I’ve seen projects lose momentum when timelines stretch out and decision-making drags on. A focused sprint like this helps keep the energy up and lets teams learn, revise, and repeat quickly.
Michael’s idea for a fast-paced research sprint—interviewing five bullseye customers with three prototypes in one day—is brilliant.
At btrax, we often recommend longer engagements for better alignment, but there’s a lot of value in short, focused sprints too. These sessions bring quick insights while balancing creativity and clarity.
Final Thoughts
Michael Margolis’s insights really lined up with what we’ve experienced in UX research at btrax. His frameworks—whether it’s finding bullseye customers, organizing watch parties, or doing intensive sprints—are practical and effective.
What stood out the most was his focus on efficiency and focus. It’s not about how much time you spend but how you spend it. For clients, this means less waiting for results and more immediate value from being involved in the research process.
By adopting these practices, we can not only improve results for our clients but also empower them to take charge of their own UX research. Whether it’s joining a watch party, identifying the perfect bullseye customer, or sprinting through prototypes, these methods keep the focus where it should be: on the user’s voice and real-world impact.
Michael’s “Learn More Faster” guide is full of actionable insights, and I’m excited to share it with my team and clients.
Let’s Make Real Progress, Together
If you’re ready to rethink your UX research approach, I’d love to partner with you to put these powerful methods into action.
