Аннотация: (English) Methodological approaches to user research in product management are examined in the context of early-stage startups. Drawing on practical cases and established frameworks, it is shown how the structure of interviews and question design influence the validity of insights. A significant gap is identified between users’ stated intentions and their actual behavior, often leading to false positives. It is substantiated that behavior-focused qualitative research and bias control function as decision-support mechanisms, and their application should align with the startup’s uncertainty level and resource constraints.