Get Working Alternatives in Front of Real Users Within Days
Executable User Research
Companion to You Are Not the User · Updated 2026-09-29
Use this when you’ve observed a problem and want working alternatives in front of real users within days. Worked in “AI Helps Most When It Removes Handoffs Between Users and Builders.”
Executable User Research: one line per step, with what happened and the evidence it produced.
| Step | What happened, and who did it | Evidence it produced (User Evidence Ladder level and UAT Distance) |
|---|---|---|
| Observe real work | ||
| State the hypothesis | ||
| Build two or three prototypes against realistic data | ||
| Put them in front of real users at D0–D1 | ||
| Measure | ||
| Decide |
The third column keeps the loop honest: until the fourth row names real users at D0–D1, nothing in it rises above the team’s own opinion. The Alternative Prototypes Prompt and the AI-Assisted UAT Design Template in Appendix B help with the third and fourth rows; nothing helps with the first except going to watch.