Reddit Pain Points Research

Purpose

Discover authentic user pain points and frustrations from Reddit discussions about any topic or industry. This skill searches relevant Reddit communities (subreddits), analyzes threads and comments where users discuss their problems, extracts recurring pain points and complaints, categorizes them by theme and severity, and generates a comprehensive report with direct user quotes and insights. Perfect for product managers, entrepreneurs, and researchers who need to understand real customer problems before building solutions, validating ideas, or planning features.

When to Use

Use this Skill when you need to:

• Validate a business idea by finding real problems people discuss
• Research customer pain points before building a product or feature
• Understand what frustrates users in a specific industry or niche
• Find unmet needs and opportunities in a market
• Gather authentic user feedback and complaints
• Identify gaps in existing solutions or tools
• Prioritize product features based on user frustrations
• Create marketing messaging that addresses real problems
• Conduct competitive research by finding complaints about competitors
• Discover emerging trends or problems in a community

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Define Research Topic and Context

Clarify what topic, industry, or problem area to research on Reddit.

Help the user specify their research focus:

Ask guiding questions:

• "What topic or industry do you want to research?" (project management, meal planning, freelancing, etc.)
• "What specific problem area or use case?" (time tracking, client communication, budgeting, etc.)
• "Who is the target user?" (freelancers, parents, students, developers, etc.)
• "What are you trying to learn?" (validate idea, find features to build, understand market)
• "Any specific subreddits to focus on?" (if they know relevant communities)
• "What competitors or existing solutions exist?" (to search for complaints)

Context to gather:

• Topic/Industry: Specific domain or vertical
• Problem Area: Aspect of the topic to focus on
• Target User: Who experiences these problems
• Research Goal: What you're trying to learn or validate
• Relevant Subreddits: Communities to search (if known)
• Competitors: Existing solutions people complain about (optional)

Examples:

• "Research pain points about project management for remote teams"
• "Find problems parents face with meal planning for picky eaters"
• "Discover frustrations freelance designers have with client communication"
• "Understand what developers hate about current CI/CD tools"

Output Variable: research_context

Step 2: Search for Relevant Reddit Threads

Use web search to find Reddit discussions where users express problems.

Search strategy for finding authentic pain points:

Search Queries to Execute:

Craft 5-8 targeted search queries that uncover problems:

1. Direct Problem Queries:

• "site:reddit.com [topic] problems"
• "site:reddit.com [topic] frustrating"
• "site:reddit.com [topic] hate"
• "site:reddit.com [topic] pain points"

1. Complaint Queries:

• "site:reddit.com why is [topic] so hard"
• "site:reddit.com [topic] complaints"
• "site:reddit.com [competitor] sucks"
• "site:reddit.com [competitor] problems"

1. Help-Seeking Queries:

• "site:reddit.com [topic] help struggling"
• "site:reddit.com how to deal with [problem]"
• "site:reddit.com [topic] what's the best way"

1. Rant Queries:

• "site:reddit.com rant about [topic]"
• "site:reddit.com [topic] terrible experience"

Search execution:

• Use web_search with multiple queries
• Prioritize recent threads (last 6-12 months)
• Look for threads with high engagement (comments, upvotes)
• Focus on subreddits relevant to target users
• Capture thread titles, URLs, and engagement metrics

Identify best threads:

• Threads with 20+ comments (active discussion)
• Posts starting with "Problem:", "Help:", "Frustrated with..."
• High upvote count (signals resonance)
• Recent posts (current problems, not outdated)

Tools Used: web_search Output Variable: relevant_threads Context Used: research_context

Step 3: Extract Pain Points from Threads

Scrape Reddit threads and analyze comments to extract pain points.

For each high-value thread, extract detailed information:

Content to Extract:

From Original Posts:

• Main problem or frustration described
• Context and situation (what led to the problem)
• Impact or consequences (why it matters)
• Current workarounds or failed solutions tried
• Emotional tone (mild annoyance vs major frustration)

From Comments:

• Agreement signals ("same here", "this exactly", "I have the same problem")
• Additional details or variations of the problem
• Related pain points mentioned
• Workarounds people use (signs of desperate solutions)
• Complaints about existing tools or solutions
• Feature requests or "I wish..." statements

Signals of Strong Pain Points:

• High upvote count on complaints
• Many comments echoing the same problem
• Emotional language ("hate", "frustrating", "waste of time")
• Long explanations (people write paragraphs about serious problems)
• Mentions of money wasted or time lost
• "I would pay for..." statements (willingness to pay for solution)

Extraction process:

• Use web_scrape on each thread URL
• Parse post title, body, and top 30-50 comments
• Identify explicit complaints and problems
• Note direct quotes that capture the pain
• Track frequency of similar complaints across threads
• Flag particularly intense or detailed frustrations

Tools Used: web_scrape Output Variable: extracted_pain_points Context Used: relevant_threads, research_context

Step 4: Analyze and Categorize Pain Points

Group pain points by theme, assess severity, and identify patterns.

Organize the extracted pain points into actionable insights:

Categorization Dimensions:

1. Pain Point Themes:

Group related problems into categories:

• Workflow/Process Issues: "Takes too long", "too many steps", "complicated process"
• Tool/Technology Problems: "Software crashes", "missing features", "bad UX"
• Cost/Pricing Frustrations: "Too expensive", "hidden fees", "not worth the price"
• Communication/Collaboration: "Team alignment", "client miscommunication", "lack of visibility"
• Time Management: "Wasted time", "inefficient", "too slow"
• Learning Curve: "Hard to learn", "confusing", "no good tutorials"
• Integration/Compatibility: "Doesn't work with X", "manual data entry", "no sync"
• Support/Service: "Poor support", "no documentation", "unresponsive"

2. Severity Assessment (1-5):

Rate each pain point by intensity:

• Level 5 (Critical): Frequent mentions, strong emotional language, prevents core tasks
• Level 4 (Major): Common complaint, clear frustration, significant time/cost impact
• Level 3 (Moderate): Regular annoyance, workarounds exist, slows work
• Level 2 (Minor): Occasional mention, mild inconvenience, easy to ignore
• Level 1 (Trivial): Rare complaint, nitpicking, minimal impact

3. Frequency Analysis:

Count mentions across threads:

• Very Common (10+ mentions): Widespread problem affecting many users
• Common (5-9 mentions): Recurring issue, affects subset of users
• Occasional (2-4 mentions): Some users experience it
• Rare (1 mention): Individual edge case or unique situation

4. Opportunity Score (1-10):

Assess business opportunity:

• How many people have this problem? (market size)
• How severe is the pain? (willingness to pay)
• Are current solutions failing? (competition gap)
• Is it getting worse or better? (trend direction)

Pattern Identification:

• Which pain points appear together?
• What triggers these problems?
• Which user segments complain most?
• Are problems with current tools or inherent to the domain?
• Any emerging trends or new problems?

Output Variable: categorized_pain_points Context Used: extracted_pain_points, research_context

Step 5: Generate Pain Points Research Report

Create comprehensive report with insights, quotes, and recommendations.

Generate a document titled "Reddit Pain Points Research - [Topic]":

Report Structure:

1. Executive Summary

• Topic and research scope
• Total threads analyzed (X threads, Y comments)
• Top 5-7 pain points discovered
• Key insights and recommendations
• Opportunity assessment

2. Research Methodology

• Search queries used
• Subreddits analyzed
• Date range
• Total data points (threads, comments)

3. Top Pain Points (Ranked by Opportunity Score)

For each major pain point:

Pain Point #1: [Clear Problem Statement]

• Category: [Workflow/Tool/Cost/etc.]
• Severity: [1-5] ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Frequency: [Very Common/Common/Occasional] (X mentions)
• Opportunity Score: [1-10]/10

Problem Description: [2-3 sentence summary of the problem]

Why It Matters: [Impact on users - time wasted, money lost, frustration level]

Direct User Quotes: > "Quote 1 from Reddit user showing the pain" - u/username, r/subreddit > "Quote 2 providing context or additional detail" - u/username, r/subreddit > "Quote 3 showing emotional intensity or frequency" - u/username, r/subreddit

Current Workarounds:

• What users do now to cope
• Why current solutions fail
• Gaps in existing tools

Opportunity:

• Market size (how many people have this)
• Willingness to pay signals
• Competition gaps
• Solution ideas

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[Repeat for Pain Points #2-10]

4. Pain Point Themes Summary

Group all pain points by category with counts:

• Workflow Issues (15 pain points, 45 mentions)
• Tool Problems (12 pain points, 38 mentions)
• Cost Frustrations (8 pain points, 22 mentions)
• [etc.]

5. User Segments

Who is complaining most?

• Segment 1 (e.g., "Freelancers") - Top 3 pain points
• Segment 2 (e.g., "Agency owners") - Top 3 pain points
• Segment 3 - Top 3 pain points

6. Competitive Insights

Complaints about existing solutions:

• Tool A: Main complaints (frequency)
• Tool B: Main complaints (frequency)
• Tool C: Main complaints (frequency)

7. Emerging Trends

• New problems appearing in last 3-6 months
• Growing frustrations
• Declining complaints (problems being solved)

8. Recommendations

Product Opportunities:

1. [Opportunity based on pain point research]
2. [Feature ideas that address multiple pain points]
3. [Market positioning based on gaps]

Messaging Angles:

• Pain-focused headlines
• Problem-solution positioning
• User language to use in marketing

Next Steps:

• Validation recommendations
• Additional research needed
• Quick wins to pursue

9. Appendix

Source Threads:

• List of all Reddit threads analyzed (title, URL, date, engagement)

Methodology Notes:

• Search approach
• Analysis framework
• Limitations

Tools Used: basile_create_document Context Used: categorized_pain_points, extracted_pain_points, relevant_threads, research_context

Example Usage

User: > I'm thinking about building a tool for freelance designers. Can you research what problems they talk about on Reddit?

Claude (using this Skill): > I'll use the Reddit Pain Points Research Skill to discover what frustrates freelance designers. > > Step 1: Define Research Topic and Context > Got it! Researching pain points for freelance designers. > Target users: Freelance graphic designers, web designers, UI/UX designers > Focus areas: Client management, project workflow, pricing, tools > Relevant subreddits: r/freelance, r/graphic_design, r/web_design, r/freelance_forhire > > Step 2: Search for Relevant Reddit Threads > Searching Reddit for freelance designer complaints and problems... > [Executed 8 search queries, found 47 relevant threads from the last 12 months] > > Top threads found: > - "Why is client communication so exhausting?" (156 upvotes, 89 comments) > - "Struggling with scope creep - how to handle?" (203 upvotes, 112 comments) > - "Clients don't understand design process" (178 upvotes, 94 comments) > - "Pricing myself - am I undercharging?" (241 upvotes, 156 comments) > > Step 3: Extract Pain Points from Threads > Scraping and analyzing 47 threads with 1,200+ comments... > [Extracted 68 distinct pain points with user quotes] > > Step 4: Analyze and Categorize Pain Points > Categorizing and scoring pain points... > - Client Management (24 pain points, 156 mentions) - Most common category > - Pricing/Billing (15 pain points, 89 mentions) > - Workflow/Process (12 pain points, 67 mentions) > - Tools/Software (10 pain points, 43 mentions) > - Time Management (7 pain points, 38 mentions) > > Step 5: Generate Pain Points Research Report > Creating your comprehensive pain points report... > > Done! Analyzed 47 Reddit threads with 1,200+ comments from freelance designers. > > Top 5 Pain Points Discovered: > > 1. Scope Creep (Severity: 5/5, Opportunity: 9/10) > - 34 mentions across threads > - Problem: Clients request changes beyond original scope, designers don't know how to push back > - Quote: "Client asked for 'just one more revision' 8 times. I've doubled my time estimate and it's eating my profit." > > 2. Unclear Design Feedback (Severity: 5/5, Opportunity: 8/10) > - 28 mentions > - Problem: Clients give vague feedback like "make it pop" or "I'll know it when I see it" > - Quote: "Spent 6 hours on revisions because client said 'make it more purple' - showed them 10 purple variations, picked none of them" > > 3. Pricing/Value Communication (Severity: 4/5, Opportunity: 7/10) > - 23 mentions > - Problem: Clients think design is quick/easy, don't value the work, compare to Fiverr prices > - Quote: "Client told me $500 was too much for a logo because 'it only took you 2 hours' - doesn't understand the 15 years of experience" > > 4. Revision Hell (Severity: 4/5, Opportunity: 8/10) > - 21 mentions > - Problem: Unlimited revisions, no clear approval process, design-by-committee > - Quote: "On revision 14. Every stakeholder has an opinion. No one agrees. I want to quit." > > 5. Payment Delays (Severity: 4/5, Opportunity: 6/10) > - 19 mentions > - Problem: Clients delay payment, excuses, cash flow issues for freelancers > - Quote: "Client is 45 days late on payment, stopped responding to emails. This is the 3rd time this year." > > Key Insights: > - Most pain points are CLIENT MANAGEMENT, not design tools > - Freelancers lack systems for boundaries, scope, and feedback > - Money conversations are awkward and avoided > - Current tools focus on design, not client relationship management > > Opportunity: Build a tool that helps freelancers manage client expectations, scope, feedback loops, and contracts - NOT another design tool. > > Your full report includes 68 pain points with user quotes, categorization, opportunity scores, and product recommendations.

Tips for Best Results

• Be specific about your target user and use case (not just "designers" → "freelance designers struggling with clients")
• Search multiple related subreddits for comprehensive coverage
• Focus on threads with high engagement (20+ comments) for richer insights
• Look for emotional language - strong feelings indicate strong pain points
• Pay attention to frequency - problems mentioned across multiple threads are widespread
• Note "I would pay for..." statements - signals willingness to buy solutions
• Check thread dates - recent problems (last 6 months) are most relevant
• Read comment threads deeply - best insights often in replies, not original posts
• Look for workarounds - desperate solutions indicate serious problems
• Cross-reference with competitor complaints - shows gaps in existing solutions
• Export quotes exactly as written - authentic user language is valuable for marketing
• Update research quarterly - pain points evolve as markets mature

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Created with Basile.ai