Do user studies.<p>It&#x27;s pretty much unheard of, but nearly every open source project would benefit far more from a week of watching potential contributors trying to get up to speed than it would from making sure the project roadmap is delivered a week sooner.<p>That&#x27;s my claim for projects in general, and what you&#x27;re asking for re Rust is a little different, but the approach can applied there, too.  Focus on everything from navigating the project website and other docs, to interactions with the tools that make up the &quot;ecosystem&quot;, to programmer expectations that could shape the language (with the latter actually being the least important).<p>Don&#x27;t trust users to self-report.  Don&#x27;t overestimate your ability to make a combined diagnosis and prescription, and don&#x27;t <i>under</i>estimate how much silent resignation is killing your adoption rate.  Observe and work off real notes.