Ben sits down with Jake Burghardt from Integrating Research to discuss his new book Stop Wasting Research and how organizations can maximize the product impact of their customer insights. Jake breaks down the critical problem of research waste, where valuable insights from studies get left behind instead of informing future decisions and planning cycles.

Jake introduces his framework of three root causes driving research waste: preparation, motivation, and integration. He emphasizes practical solutions like creating insight summaries with stakeholders, building cross-silo research communities, and establishing recurring touchpoints beyond traditional study deliverables. The conversation covers actionable strategies for researchers at all levels, from individual contributors looking to extend their impact to research leaders building organizational initiatives that elevate research as a collective stakeholder voice.

Highlights

• 08:15 Defining research waste and value
• 14:48 Identifying research waste in organizations
• 21:36 Breaking down research silos
• 30:21 Creating insight summary statements
• 37:38 Integration and recurring stakeholder touchpoints
• 42:52 Building research initiatives not individual efforts

Resources

1. Conducting Better Stakeholder Interviews
2. The 2025 State of Research Strategy Report
3. The Research ROI & Impact Calculator