ResearchOps 2.0 is brought to you by User Interviews—the only solution you need to recruit high-quality participants for any kind of research.

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.

To scale up, tune in!

In This Episode

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. Here’s what this episode covers:

(1.05) About this Episode(2.04) From Primate Welfare to ResearchOps: Daniel Gottlieb(4.58) From Fishery Engineering to ResearchOps: Luana Cruz(6.12) From Anthropology to ResearchOps: Garett Tsukada(7.17) A Smart Start at Adobe: Tim Toy and a Three-Piece Suit(9.38) A More ‘Traditional Route’ with Jared Forney(11.23) ‘Hired by a Detective’ with Mia Mishek (14.00) Levelling Up: Shaping Career Growth in ResearchOps(16.13) The (Soft) Skills That Make Someone Successful in ResearchOps(22.26) We Have a Lot to Learn from Product Management(24.28) ResearchOps Pros Iterate—Constantly(28.00) The Art of Convincing and Selling(30.40) The Reality of Burnout (And Ways to Manage It)(34.16) Knowing When to Say “No” AKA Strategy(39.29) Ask for Help(41.00) The Problem of Invisible Work—or Glue Work(43.08) Making the Invisible Visible: Marketing Tips and a Case Study from Okta(46.33) Everyone Has Imposter Syndrome—Even the Pros(54.00) End

This episode features Daniel Gottlieb, Head of Research Operations for Microsoft’s CoreAI; Luana Cruz, Research Operations at Itaú Unibanco; Garett Tsukada, Head of Customer Connect UX Research Operations at Intuit; Tim Toy, the Senior Manager for ResearchOps at Adobe; Jared Forney, Research Operations Principal at Okta; Mia Mishek, Senior UX ResearchOps Manager at Target; ResearchOps specialist, Lydia Iana; Carolyn Morgan, ResearchOps and Enablement Manager at Cisco; Sam Gager, Senior Director, XD Research—Enterprise, Developer, Associate, & Accelerator, Capital One; and Erin May, Chief Marketing Officer at User Interviews.

Things Mentioned

* Cha Cha Club—a members’ club for full-time ResearchOps professionals

* Lenny Rachitsky and Noam Segal. “How Tech Workers Really Feel about Work Right Now.” Lenny’s Newsletter. May 27, 2025.

* Research That Scales: The Research Operations Handbook (Rosenfeld, 2024) by Kate Towsey

* Tanya Reilly. “Being Glue.” No Idea Blog.

* Emma Boulton. “The Eight Pillars of User Research.” Medium. The ResearchOps Community, July 11, 2019.

* Kate Towsey. “A Framework for #WhatisResearchOps.” Medium. The ResearchOps Community, October 24, 2018.

Brought to You By

A Cha Cha Club production, sponsored by User Interviews—the only solution you need to recruit high-quality participants for any kind of research.

Credits

Produced and narrated 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. Explore the music and (most) sounds featured in this episode via this Epidemic Sound playlist.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theresearchopsreview.substack.com