In a competitive market, the primary goal is to gain a competitive edge. Business leaders do this by learning as much as they can about the market.
The main idea is straightforward: customers purchase products to accomplish a task. For example, people don’t buy a drill bit just to have it. They use it to create a quarter-inch hole, allowing them to hang a shelf and organize their home.
When you start looking into your products, pricing, and what customers expect, it’s easy to fall back on old habits. This is often where strategies fail before they even start. Teams often ask questions like:
- “Is our price too high?”
- “What features should we add?”
These kinds of questions often miss the real issue.
They don’t focus on strategy. You may obtain data, but not genuine insight. In a crowded market, asking the same questions as everyone else won’t help you stand out. Real advantage comes from asking better questions.
Instead of digging for deeper insights, teams often compare product features rather than what truly drives value. They focus on price comparisons instead of understanding what gives them pricing power. This difference matters.
To gain a competitive edge, you need to determine what sets your company apart from others in the eyes of customers. The goal isn’t to know what everyone else knows, but to discover what truly sets you apart.
To avoid these common mistakes, you need a better approach.
So, how do you formulate the right research questions? The biggest mistake in research is starting with the questions themselves.
If you start by brainstorming questions, your team will stay stuck in its own biases and blind spots. This leads to vanity metrics, like “85% of users like our new logo.” These numbers might look good, but they don’t help you beat your main competitor.
The right question doesn’t come out of nowhere. It comes from a clear strategy. It’s like a key made to open a specific door.
So, where should you start your research?
Start with the outcome you want. Most companies start research by asking, “What do customers think about our product?” But that’s not the best place to begin. Instead, ask: What decision will give us a unique and defensible advantage?
Example decisions:
- What value can we deliver that competitors cannot easily copy?
- What specific customer segment will value it the most?
- What tradeoffs will we intentionally make (and which will we ignore)?
Your questions should help you make crucial decisions. Research isn’t just about collecting facts; it’s about finding insights that guide your strategy.
To avoid this, always define the decision or problem before you write your questions.
Before writing any survey questions, ensure you understand the decision you need to make or the problem you want to solve.
Don’t start with, “What should we ask about price?”
Instead, begin with, “We are losing 30% of customers at checkout. Why?” Then, determine whether the answer involves a pricing change, a simpler checkout process, or the addition of a “buy now, pay later” option.
See the difference? A clear problem statement gives you strong focus. Now your research has a clear purpose.
- Bad Question: “Is our price fair?” (What does “fair” even mean?)
- Good Question: “When you saw the final price, what thoughts or feelings caused you to abandon your cart?”
- Good Question: “You completed your purchase. What other options did you consider before deciding this price was worth it?”
4 Questions That Lead to a Competitive Advantage
For products and features, your goal is to understand what makes you different and what value you offer—not just what people prefer. When it comes to pricing, focus on understanding how customers perceive the value, not just the price itself. Never ask, “Is this too expensive?”
To address customer expectations, try to identify what needs aren’t being met and what assumptions customers have.
Next, build questions inside these four pillars:
| Pillar | Purpose | Example Research Questions |
| 1. Customer Truths | Identify what they actually value, not just what they say | What frustrates you most about current options? What would you be willing to pay more for if someone delivered it to you? |
| 2. Market Gaps | Identify missing value OR underserved segments | Where are current suppliers letting you down? What is not good enough? What is being over-delivered? |
| 3. Value Levers | Identify what could make you uniquely valuable | In what situations does a 2x result matter more than price? What benefit would change your decision immediately? |
| 4. Competitor Blind Spots | Identify areas you can exploit that they ignore | What do all suppliers seem to assume is important that actually isn’t? Where are they investing effort that doesn’t matter? |
By focusing your research on these four areas, you can find ways to gain a competitive advantage instead of just collecting general opinions.
Why This Matters
Competitive advantage doesn’t come from just knowing what customers like.
Competitive advantage comes from knowing what customers value most, what competitors don’t offer, and what customers are willing to pay for and rely on.
The questions you ask in research shape what you learn. Average questions lead to average strategies. If you focus on competitive advantage, you’ll find insights that help you stand out.
Conclusion
Good research questions make strategy possible. They bring clarity, show where you can gain an advantage, lower risk, and help you focus creativity on what matters most.
The quality of your research questions shapes your competitive advantage. It’s both a design challenge and a test of creativity.
Jim Zitek
I turn complex product problems into creative solutions with a competitive advantage.
