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

The popularity of AI moderation tools, increased attention on "big" data sets (and streams), and the ongoing uncertainty in the research job market have (understandably) led some to wonder about the future of qualitative research. Our guest today, however, is bullish, and explains why.

Nancy Baum leads the qualitative research practice at C+R Research. She has nearly 20 years' experience in the field, exposing her to many ebbs and flows. Nancy believes that qualitative practitioners are vital to sifting through the mounds of data, information, and competing interests flooding many companies' attention. Focusing on and uncovering the "Why?" and "How?" still matters today.

Listen to learn ways to advocate for qual research, what Nancy thinks of AI-moderation, and how she's developing new researchers.

Highlights

• 09:19 How stakeholders misunderstand qualitative research
• 22:46 AI moderation complements quantitative surveys
• 32:32 Customizing deliverables for stakeholder impact
• 41:09 Flexibility navigates unpredictable human conversations
• 47:49 Deep listening trumps active listening
• 50:26 Early stakeholder conversations secure research value

Resources

• Try our qualitative sample size calculator
• The best qualitative research tools in 2025
• Qual vs. quant vs. mixed method approaches

In just ten years, ResearchOps has transformed from an obscure Silicon Valley speciality into a vibrant global profession. Despite economic headwinds, ResearchOps roles are emerging across industries far beyond tech, and the field is evolving at breathtaking speed. But where have we come from, and where are we going?

In this five-part audio documentary, we’re exploring the past, present, and future of ResearchOps—and it’s exciting, fascinating, and, at times, pretty mindblowing stuff! Each episode features the voices of Cha Cha Club members, senior research leaders, and the smart minds behind User Interviews.

In this fifth and final—”awwww”, we hear you say—episode of ResearchOps 2.0, we’re turning the spotlight on the people of ResearchOps: the curious minds, problem-solvers, and system-builders who’ve made this profession what it is today. We’ll explore who they are, where they’ve come from, and what drives them to transform how organisations learn from their users.

If you’re a ResearchOps professional, this episode will make you feel seen and heard. If you’re a leader looking to hire a ResearchOps role, this episode will help you think differently about who might hire. And if you’re looking to transition into a ResearchOps career, this episode will give you a great sense of the skills you need and the incredible profession you’ll become a part of.

In just ten years, ResearchOps has transformed from an obscure Silicon Valley speciality into a vibrant global profession. Despite economic headwinds, ResearchOps roles are emerging across industries far beyond tech, and the field is evolving at breathtaking speed. But where have we come from, and where are we going?

In this five-part audio documentary, we’re exploring the past, present, and future of ResearchOps—and it’s exciting, fascinating, and, at times, pretty mindblowing stuff! Each episode features the voices of Cha Cha Club members, senior research leaders, and the smart minds behind User Interviews.

In this fourth and penultimate episode of ResearchOps 2.0, we’re exploring a timely topic: how to build enduring research systems even when change seems to be the order of the day—every day. You’ll hear top tips from experts who’ve managed to ride the winds of change to deliver successful, responsive research operations.

In just ten years, ResearchOps has transformed from an obscure Silicon Valley speciality into a vibrant global profession. Despite economic headwinds, ResearchOps roles are emerging across industries far beyond tech, and the field is evolving at breathtaking speed. But where have we come from, and where are we going?

In this five-part audio documentary, we’re exploring the past, present, and future of ResearchOps—and it’s exciting, fascinating, and, at times, pretty mindblowing stuff! Each episode features the voices of Cha Cha Club members, senior research leaders, and the smart minds behind User Interviews—the only solution you need to recruit high-quality participants for any kind of research.

In this third episode, we’re diving deep into what taking a platform approach to ResearchOps means and why research platforms are a pivotal part of the future of ResearchOps.

To scale up; tune in.

Erin May sits down with Larry Becker and Gavin Lew of Bold Insight to explore how researchers can prototype AI experiences that don't exist yet. They're joined by Katie Johnson, Global Head of Research for Panasonic Well. All share their methods for testing everything from voice interfaces for blind users to family wellness bots using low fidelity simulation techniques.

⭐️ Larry, Katie, and Gavin are presenting their work at EPIC 2025 in Helsinki ⭐️

The conversation reveals how AI research requires new approaches beyond traditional usability testing. Katie explains her work simulating family interactions with AI assistants, where researchers act as human filters for LLM responses to study relationship building over time. The team demonstrates how even small changes in AI personality can be detected by users, highlighting the sensitivity of human-AI relationships.

Gavin emphasizes the critical importance of getting AI right from the first interaction, unlike traditional MVP approaches. When AI fails to understand or respond appropriately, users often abandon it permanently, making prototype research essential for building trust before launch. The discussion provides practical frameworks for researchers working with emerging AI technologies and the evolving methods needed to understand human-AI interactions.

Highlights

• [06:25] Prototyping AI experiences mindset
• [20:53] Human simulation in AI prototyping
• [31:15] Human vs bot detection challenges
• [38:52] Context interaction and trust framework
• [49:33] Team collaboration in groundbreaking research
• [51:27] Trust themes in AI development

Resources

1. The State of User Research 2025
2. AI For User Research 101 Course
3. 20+ AI Tools for User Researchers

In just 10 years, ResearchOps has transformed from an obscure Silicon Valley speciality into a vibrant global profession. Despite economic headwinds, ResearchOps roles are emerging across industries far beyond tech, and the field is evolving at breathtaking speed. But where has it come from, and where is it going?

In this five-part audio documentary series, Kate Towsey of Cha Cha Club explores the past, present, and, most important of all, the future of ResearchOps. Each episode features the voices of Cha Cha Club members, senior research leaders, and the smart minds behind User Interviews.

In this episode, we’ll explore how ResearchOps professionals are approaching AI today and what the future holds. Expect several unique case studies, as well as mind-blowing, not-so-futurist concepts. (Hint: Never mind AI research moderators. What about AI as genuine research participants?)

Credits
Production, narration, and audio engineering by Kate Towsey. Co-produced with Cha Cha Club manager, Glenn Familton, and ResearchOps experts, Jenna Lombardo and Renato Venter. Aria, the robotic voice, was generated by Soundly. Music and (most) sound effects featured in this episode were sourced from Epidemic Sound. Explore music and sounds via this playlist.

In just 10 years, ResearchOps has transformed from an obscure Silicon Valley speciality into a vibrant global profession. Despite economic headwinds, ResearchOps roles are emerging across industries far beyond tech, and the field is evolving at breathtaking speed. But where has it come from, and where is it going?

In this five-part audio documentary series, Kate Towsey of Cha Cha Club explores the past, present, and, most important of all, the future of ResearchOps. Each episode features the voices of Cha Cha Club members, senior research leaders, and the smart minds behind User Interviews. This episode features insights from User Interviews Co-Founders Basel Fakhoury and Dennis Meng, as well as CMO Erin May.

Credits
Production, narration, and audio engineering by Kate Towsey. Co-produced with Cha Cha Club manager, Glenn Familton, and ResearchOps experts, Jenna Lombardo and Renato Venter. Aria, the robotic voice, was generated by Soundly. Music and (most) sound effects featured in this episode were sourced from Epidemic Sound. Explore music and sounds via this playlist.

Welcome to our final Summer Throwback. We're revisiting some of our favorite conversations and insights.

We're closing with a topic that technology like AI—and shrinking attention space—is affecting: reporting results. Our guest, Caitria O'Neill, had a sense that stakeholders weren't really engaging with her results (or their implications) as she'd like them to. During her time on teams at Meta, AirBnB, and Google, she'd iterated and evolved how she packaged, presented, and stored research readouts.

It's a great listen for anyone who has felt a nagging suspicion that partners just aren't connecting with research.

Resources on Reporting

• Rethinking our Approach to Research Reports
• A Framework for Simple, Repeatable Reporting
• 30+ Free Report Templates and Examples

Welcome to Summer Throwbacks, where we revisit some of our favorite episodes. This week's guest is Kate Towsey, who helped spotlight the relevance, urgency, and importance of Research Operations (ReOps) to business. This conversation is from her time leading ReOps at Atlassian. She breaks down the rationale for ReOps and the steps folks can take to start a practice of their own.

These days, Kate's investing in Cha Cha Club, a space for ResearchOps pros to connect and learn.

Stay tuned for an exclusive podcast series with Kate and Cha Cha Club...coming soon.

More ReOps Resources

• What is Research Operations and Why Does it Matter
• The State of Research For Non-Researchers
• Building an Accessibility Research Panel