1. Pick one narrow user first
Choose a single job title that makes video often: a social media manager at a DTC brand, a solo real estate agent posting listing reels, or a course creator recording lessons. Write it down as one sentence, like "marketing generalists at Shopify brands with under 20 staff who post 3+ TikToks a week." You will interview 10 of these before anyone else.
2. Find them where they already complain
Search Reddit in r/socialmedia, r/NewTubers, r/realtors and r/shopify for phrases like "editing takes forever" or "hate making reels." On X and LinkedIn, search "CapCut" plus "so slow" or "Canva video" plus "help." Anyone who posted a frustration in the last 30 days is a strong candidate.
3. Send a short, honest ask
Message them directly and ask for 15 minutes to learn, not to pitch. Example: "Saw your post about spending Sundays editing reels. I'm building a tool in this space and want to understand how you make video today. Could I ask you 5 questions on a 15 min call this week? No pitch." Send 30 of these to book about 5 calls.
4. Ask about the last video they made
Start with the past, not opinions. Ask: "Walk me through the last video you published. Where did the idea come from, what tools did you open, and how long did each part take?" Then: "Which part did you dread?" Specific recent stories show where time and money actually go.
5. Dig into what they pay and what they tried
Ask: "What do you pay for today to make video? CapCut Pro, Canva, Descript, a freelancer on Fiverr?" Follow with: "Have you tried Runway, Synthesia, HeyGen or similar? What made you stop or keep going?" Current spend and abandoned tools tell you your price range and the bar you must beat.
6. Test the stakes, not the idea
Ask: "What happens when a video doesn't get made that week?" and "Who checks the video before it goes live?" If nothing happens, the pain is weak. If a boss, client or brand guideline is involved, ask what an unusable AI output would cost them, because trust in output quality is often the real blocker.
7. Close with a small commitment
End with: "If I made one video for your next post using your footage, would you use it?" Then offer to do it by hand that week. A user who sends files and posts the result is worth more than ten who said "sounds cool." Log each answer in a simple sheet with columns for job, current tools, spend and top pain.
8. Repeat until patterns repeat
Stop after the same top pain shows up in 5 of 8 calls, then adjust your landing page to use their exact words. Hulby, an AI cofounder, finds these people and drafts these outreach messages daily so the founder can spend time on the calls.
Mistakes to skip
- Interviewing other founders or AI enthusiasts instead of people who publish video every week.
- Demoing the product in the first call, which turns answers into polite feedback.
- Asking "would you use this?" instead of asking about the last video they actually made.
- Ignoring what they already pay for, so you guess at pricing later.
Want this done for your AI video generator, every day?
Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.
Find my first customersQuestions
How many interviews do I need?
Start with 10 in one segment. Stop when the same pain repeats in most calls.
Should I show my AI video generator during the interview?
Not in the first half. Learn their workflow first, then show it only if they ask or at the very end.
What if nobody replies to my messages?
Make the ask smaller and more specific. Reference their exact post and ask for 10 minutes or written answers to 3 questions.
Which segment pays fastest for AI video?
Usually people whose income depends on posting, like agencies, real estate agents and course creators. Test two segments and see who commits.