Collect questions with permission and context
Use approved support notes, interviews or your own review of the product. Keep the question’s task and user state while removing identifying details. Do not publish private tickets or imply that a fictional example came from a real customer.
Every row below is invented to demonstrate triage. It is not a claim about question frequency. Add actual counts only when a reliable, permissioned record supports them.
Decide whether video is the right answer
Video is useful when a visible sequence, state change or hard-to-find control answers the question. A billing date, access rule or changing policy is often better handled by maintained text and a direct help link.
A recurring question can also reveal a product or documentation defect. Sending more people to a clip is not always the best fix. Record whether the underlying label, empty state or help page needs an owner before selecting a content task.
| Decision or state | Example | Review |
|---|---|---|
| Where are call notes? | Video candidate: locate a note | Show the real navigation path. |
| How do I open Monday’s note? | Merge with locate-a-note task | Same start state and result. |
| Can I export notes? | Separate capability answer | Verify export exists before promising it. |
| When is my invoice due? | Maintained billing text | Do not expose a customer invoice. |
| Why is this control missing? | Eligibility/help investigation | Resolve role or rollout uncertainty. |
| The empty screen is confusing | Product/help improvement | Do not substitute content for a defect fix. |
Merge questions by their underlying task
“Where are my call notes?” and “How do I open Monday’s note?” may belong to one find-a-note demonstration. “Can I export my notes?” needs different evidence. Merge based on the action and result, not shared keywords.
Keep the original questions in a private, appropriately sanitized planning log and give the public asset a clear task title. Avoid creating separate near-identical pages for every wording variant.
Write a brief and close the loop
For the selected task, specify starting state, necessary steps, visible result and a relevant help destination. Have a reviewer who resembles the intended user attempt the task from the video. Record where they still need clarification.
When the answer changes, update the source help page and video together. A dated demo of an old interface can create new support work. Track an owner and review trigger, such as a navigation change, instead of assuming publication completes the job.
Copy the planning worksheet
Use this worksheet in your own notes. Fill it with verified product details and actual review observations before sharing an asset.
Sanitized question and source permission:
User state / task:
Video / text / product fix / merge:
Reason and existing answer:
Starting state -> action -> result:
Help destination:
Reviewer outcome:
Owner and update trigger:Browse the founder guide library for the next task in your workflow.