The User Research Strategist: UXR | Impact | AI

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

—

Alaine is an empathetic UX leader with a proven track record of driving user-centric strategies, adeptly managing teams, and delivering impactful research that drives business growth and strategic alignment.

In her role as a Research Manager at Dext, she oversees research delivery, strategy, and operational functions. With 12 years of extensive experience in user research and design, she is deeply passionate about leading and inspiring individuals while ensuring that customer insights remain at the core of product development.

In our conversation, we discuss:

* What happens when a six-person research team shrinks to one and how Alaine rebuilt from there.

* Why doing “more research” wasn’t the answer, and stepping back was the most strategic move.

* How to spot the right people to advocate for research, even if it’s not your direct manager.

* The messy reality of research democratization and what finally made it work.

* What it really means to operate as a business partner rather than a user advocate.

Some takeaways:

* You can’t research your way out of a broken system. Alaine tried to do everything alone and quickly realized she was burning out while diminishing trust in research. The turning point came when she stepped back to understand what the business actually needed, then rebuilt with that in mind.

* Get closer to product, not just users. Alaine shifted her focus toward building relationships with senior product leaders and learning how they think. Reporting into a VP of Product helped position research as part of the product org, not a separate function trying to fight for attention.

* Strategic visibility creates pull, not push. Her first hires were two contractors focused on mission-critical work. Once stakeholders saw the quality and impact, demand for research grew naturally. From there, product teams started asking for more researchers, Alaine didn’t need to campaign again.

* Democratization isn’t plug-and-play, it’s infrastructure. Initial attempts failed until she simplified tools, rewrote bloated processes, and treated it as a real change management project. Now, 30+ people can confidently run research with a central handbook and lightweight systems built around their needs.

* Start with honesty, not idealism. The first step in rebuilding wasn’t a grand vision. It was getting brutally honest about how research was perceived across the company. Anonymous feedback and reflection helped clarify what role the business wanted research to play and that insight shaped every step forward.

Where to find Alaine:

* LinkedIn

Interested in sponsoring the podcast?

Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I’m always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors.

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

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

—

Filip Cicek is a seasoned researcher with a Master's degree in Sociology and over 15 years of diverse experience spanning academia, non-profit, and business realms. Proficient in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, Filip leads Ruthless Insights, a cutting-edge consultancy specializing in UX and market research.

In our conversation, we discuss:

* How physical product research forces rigor, patience, and multiple rounds of muddy discovery.

* The invisible weight of decision-making when mistakes cost millions and can’t be undone.

* What it takes to manage client expectations and stop pretending research can always be fast.

* Why Filip left academia and started Ruthless Insights after getting fired and how he made it work.

* The real challenges of agency work and how bad recruiting, rushed timelines, and AI shortcuts create sloppy insights.

Some takeaways:

* Physical product research demands rigor, not speed. When mistakes cost millions and there’s no going back post-launch, teams take research seriously. Filip explains how physical product work forces multiple rounds of exploratory studies, each more focused than the last, until real confidence is built. There’s no skipping the mess of qualitative research, no rapid sprints, no quick pivots, no AB tests. The trade-off? You get to do real, strategic work that actually gets used if you’re willing to sit in the mud for a while.

* Filip and Nikki both agree: multiple rounds of generative research can feel like an existential crisis. You finish each round with more questions than answers, stuck in abstract insights your stakeholders don’t always want to hear. But those vague, frustrating truths are the only path to real product clarity, especially in high-stakes spaces. Researchers need to get comfortable with uncertainty and help clients understand that clarity takes time.

* Many stakeholders just don’t know what good research actually takes. It’s your job to tell them. Filip’s advice: don’t agree to three-week timelines just to be helpful, push back with clarity. Clients don’t need speed, they need to not be wrong. And when researchers stop overpromising and start managing expectations, trust and repeat work follow.

* Ruthless Insights was built on rejection and a bet on honesty. Filip started his agency after getting fired and being told to “bet on yourself” by a client. That same client helped him name Ruthless Insights, based on Filip’s refusal to sugarcoat tough findings. His whole model is built around doing the job well without padding the process or the price, no fancy office, no fluff, just clean, useful insight. It’s not glamorous, but it’s what keeps clients coming back.

* Most people don’t understand how hard research is until they try it. From clients underestimating how long recruitment takes, to stakeholders clinging to a single quote from an interview, Filip has seen it all. He’s learned to pre-empt confusion by overcommunicating upfront, bringing recruiters in early, and walking stakeholders through the analysis process. He doesn’t try to move fast, he tries to be accurate. And that’s what builds a reputation that outlasts a slide deck.

Where to find Filip:

* Ruthless Insights

* Statis-fact

* LinkedIn

Stop piecing it together. Start leading the work.

The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.

You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.

It’s built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to—not around.

→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks

→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus

→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic delivery

Interested in sponsoring the podcast?

Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I’m always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors.

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

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

—

Iwalola Sobowale is a research leader empowering tech innovation in Nigeria’s exciting tech industry. As the Head of Customer Research at Moniepoint, she drives strategic research to enhance customer experience, improve product adoption, and strengthen market positioning.

With a background in another Nigerian unicorn - Interswitch, Transsion who are the manufacturers of the Tecno and Infinix, the mobile device brands dominating the African continent, and Fidelity Bank, one of Nigeria’s leading commercial banks, she has led initiatives that optimize digital banking, payments, and financial inclusion.

Beyond her role, Iwalola is the co-founder of Usability for Africa, a ground-breaking research initiative that seeks to democratice usability knowledge for African tech. She is currently co-authoring a book that captures these insights and is also the host of The Spotlight Podcast, fostering industry knowledge-sharing to nurture the tech and business ecosystem.

Her passion for innovation and commitment to excellence mark her as a standout professional in the field.

In our conversation, we discuss:

* How Iwalola defines customer-centric product development and ties it directly to strategy, not just research.

* Why sharing research isn’t just about visibility, it’s about timing, relationships, and understanding internal decisions.

* The difference between reacting to requests and actually guiding what gets built.

* Tips for navigating low-maturity orgs without letting them define your trajectory.

* Why asking “why” is underrated, and how to do it without getting kicked out of the room.

Some takeaways:

* To make real impact, researchers need to understand three things: what the business is doing, what it’s not doing, and who the customer really is. Without clarity on these decisions, research either floats or gets ignored. Iwalola talks about the need for alignment—not just understanding the customer, but understanding the organization’s strategic bets. That’s where real influence starts.

* You can’t guide decisions if you don’t know what decisions are being made. Guidance isn’t about “being in the room” once a month. It’s about reading internal docs, scanning Slack channels, asking for team roadmaps, and paying attention to who’s working on what. The research doesn’t stop at the user—it starts again inside the company. If you want to be helpful, you need to investigate your organization like you would any other system.

* Iwalola makes research feel like a friendly place, no bad questions, no posturing. She shares often, asks stakeholders about what they already know, and brings curiosity instead of critique. That posture builds trust and slowly pulls even hesitant partners into the process. The goal is to help stakeholders make better calls, with you at the table.

* Instead of begging for buy-in from resistant teams, start with those who already get it. Work closely with them, and let the results do the talking. Once other teams see that insights actually help drive progress, they’ll start to seek you out. That’s influence built by reputation—not explanation.

* Leadership isn’t used to being asked “why,” but it’s one of the most important questions a researcher can ask. It unlocks context, helps you shape your work, and shows you’re genuinely trying to support—not challenge—the direction. If you understand why something is being prioritized, you can better decide how to contribute. Just know your audience, and bring the “why” with care.

Where to find Iwalola:

* LinkedIn

* Instagram

* Twitter

* Blog articles

* Newsletter

* Podcast

Stop piecing it together. Start leading the work.

The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.

You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.

It’s built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to—not around.

→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks

→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus

→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic delivery

Interested in sponsoring the podcast?

Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I’m always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors.

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

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

—

Ryan Glasgow is the CEO of Sprig, an AI-native survey platform built to replace legacy tools like Qualtrics. Sprig combines advanced survey capabilities, AI-powered analysis, and an intuitive user experience to help research and product teams get richer insights, faster. Before starting Sprig, Ryan led product at Weebly and Vurb, where he saw how slow, fragmented research workflows could limit product velocity. Today, Sprig is used by companies like Stripe, DoorDash, Notion, and Netflix to run surveys, analyze results instantly with AI, and deliver insights that shape product decisions.

In our conversation, we discuss:

* How the research community’s mindset toward AI has shifted from fear to experimentation.

* What it means to treat AI like an eager intern and why that mental model changes everything.

* How to break your workflow into “job steps” and plug AI in where it can actually help.

* What Sprig is building to support both qual and quant researchers at different levels.

* Why sharing raw data with stakeholders (not just summaries) might be the next big unlock for research impact.

Some takeaways:

* Many teams outside of research are still figuring out what AI is good for. Meanwhile, UXRs are already experimenting with real tasks, like synthesis, survey creation, and study planning, because they’ve had to. Ryan points out that researchers are becoming internal AI evangelists, getting asked to present their workflows to other departments. The field’s willingness to experiment is turning into a quiet leadership moment.

* The best way to work with AI? Pretend it’s a new intern. It’s fast, eager, and can take on a ton but needs oversight, review, and clear direction. That framing unlocks a very different way of thinking: not “Will it replace me?” but “What can I delegate to it so I can focus on higher-impact work?” That shift is showing up in how researchers manage tasks across their workflow.

* Before you plug AI into your stack, audit your actual workflow. Break it into steps, like study planning, stakeholder requests, distribution, synthesis, insight sharing, and decide where AI can support. Sprig is built around this approach, helping researchers insert AI at specific job steps. Trying to use one tool for everything often backfires; success comes from surgical fits, not general use.

* Sprig is expanding from in-product surveys into long-form survey support with built-in AI features for study creation, open text clustering, and synthesis. Ryan shared how qual researchers use AI to draft surveys, get feedback, and even generate first-pass summaries of open ends. Other tools like Notebook LM and Gamma help researchers do faster analysis and deck creation without skipping the rigor.

* One of the most radical ideas Ryan shared: share your raw research data, transcripts, open ends, survey results, so stakeholders can ask their own questions. With tools like ChatGPT or Notebook LM, that data becomes living, queryable insight. It turns research from a static deliverable into an exploratory tool. It also takes the pressure off researchers to have all the answers, all the time.

Where to find Ryan:

* Website

* LinkedIn

* X

Stop piecing it together. Start leading the work.

The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.

You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.

It’s built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to—not around.

→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks

→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus

→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic delivery

Interested in sponsoring the podcast?

Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I’m always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors.

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

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

—

Loren is a UX Researcher with over 8 years of experience designing user-centered financial solutions. She’s passionate about uncovering actionable insights that bridge user needs with business objectives, and specializes in transforming complex behaviors into strategies that elevate digital experiences. Loren currently works at JPMorgan Chase as a Lead UX Researcher for digital commerce solutions. Over her time at Chase she has worked across several organizations, getting to know a wide variety of customer-facing and employee-facing products and services giving her a unique insight into how the customer views Chase as a whole.

Kathryn is a behavioral neuroscientist with experience in consumer research and methodological innovation. She earned her Bachelors in Neuroscience and Business from Muhlenberg College and her Masters in Behavioral and Decision Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. She currently works at JP Morgan Chase as a User Researcher, with a focus on methodological development, infusing behavioral science and design thinking into the customer experience.

In our conversation, we discuss:

* What end-to-end research actually means in practice and why it starts before users ever touch your product.

* How to use habit loops to map and influence real customer behavior without forcing change.

* The power of live account interviews for breaking out of prototype fantasyland.

* Strategies for building alignment and shifting stakeholders from “I need” to “we’re solving.”

* How internal playbooks, role-play exercises, and empathy maps help teams stay grounded in real life.

Some takeaways:

* End-to-end research isn’t just a longer study, but a wider lens. Loren and Kathryn define end-to-end research as everything from a customer’s initial intent to what happens after they close the product. It’s not just about usability or funnel drop-off, but about how their lives influence how they interact with your product. To get real insight, you have to look outside the interface and understand what’s happening before, during, and after each interaction. That kind of zoomed-out context changes the questions you ask and the recommendations you make.

* Customers don’t live inside your product and they won’t change their habits for you. Many organizations build with the assumption that users will adapt. They won’t. Through live account research, Loren uncovered how users ignore offers, stick to their routines, and reject anything that adds complexity. Kathryn explains how habit loops (cue → routine → reward) help teams understand why users behave the way they do, and why your product needs to slot into existing routines, not disrupt them.

* Usability labs are structured, focused, and quiet. Real life is not. That’s why live account research can be so powerful; users bring their own data, context, and mess. Watching someone navigate a real account reveals things no A/B test or journey map ever could, especially when paired with tools like empathy maps that capture what people are saying, doing, thinking, and feeling.

* To build cross-team alignment, make the customer the common ground. When products span multiple teams, priorities clash. Loren uses design rationale briefs and vision statements to realign teams around what the customer wants, not just what each team needs. Kathryn emphasizes the importance of shared language and moving from “I need” to “we’re building.” Getting people into the same room, physically or virtually, and grounding them in the customer’s perspective is what turns politics into partnership.

* If you want teams to understand context, you have to simulate real life. Kathryn runs role-playing workshops where stakeholders juggle real-life distractions while interacting with a product. It’s a reminder that customers are busy, stressed, and multitasking, and your product has to work under those conditions. Loren adds that this mindset shift helps counter the overconfidence teams can get from testing in perfect research environments. Their advice: don’t just study what customers say, watch what they actually do in the wild.

Where to find Loren:

* LinkedIn

Where to find Kathryn:

* LinkedIn

Stop piecing it together. Start leading the work.

The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.

You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.

It’s built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to—not around.

→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks

→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus

→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic delivery

Interested in sponsoring the podcast?

Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I’m always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors.

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

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

—

Amanda runs Stockwell Strategy, a user experience research and innovation strategy practice. She has spent the last 15 years helping teams understand who their users are, what they need, and how to tie those insights to product and business strategy. Happy clients include startups, nonprofits, fortune 100s, and nearly everywhere in between. Amanda is happiest when helping teams spin up their UX research practices and individuals refine their research and strategy skills.

She also frequently writes and speaks about all things UX and product, teaches classes on LinkedIn Learning and for Duke's Design and Technology Innovation program, and helps organize local Ladies that UX meetups. You can also find her hiking, spoiling her dog, or sharing lobster facts.

In our conversation, we discuss:

* The concept of “research onions,” how core skills are just one layer of what makes someone effective in UX.

* Why understanding business goals and context makes research more actionable, not less user-centered.

* How collaborating with cross-functional teammates means more than just scheduling whiteboard sessions.

* Tips for solo researchers on becoming better collaborators, from small talk to strategic alignment.

* A networking approach that’s not transactional and why your next opportunity may come from a six-year-old Slack intro.

Some takeaways:

* Research is more than the craft. Amanda introduces the idea of “onion layers” to describe the full spectrum of skills researchers need. Beyond knowing methods and tools, researchers should understand how business decisions are made and where their insights fit in.

* You don’t need to be a business strategist but you do need to care. Understanding cash flow, team capacity, and strategic priorities helps researchers frame insights that get acted on. It’s not about becoming a PM; it’s about asking the right questions and understanding how your work fits the broader picture.

* Relationship-building is essential, especially when you’re the only researcher. Whether it’s baking banana bread to attract teammates or tailoring your report formats to individual preferences, Amanda shows how small acts of intentionality lead to better collaboration and insight adoption.

* Network like a human, not a transaction. Amanda advises networking consistently and authentically, not just when you’re looking for a job. The best opportunities often come from long-forgotten connections so be curious, be helpful, and stay in touch with generosity.

* Treat your stakeholders like users. Just like you wouldn’t ship a product without understanding your users, you shouldn’t present findings without understanding your audience. Customize communication styles, understand what they care about, and make it easy for them to act on your insights.

Where to find Amanda:

* Website

* LinkedIn

* Bluesky

Stop piecing it together. Start leading the work.

The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.

You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.

It’s built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to.

→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks

→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus

→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic delivery

Interested in sponsoring the podcast?

Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I’m always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors.

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

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

—

Bindu is passionate about understanding people, their behaviour, and the ecosystems in which they interact. In every role she drives cross-functional collaborations across R&D and Go To Market teams to craft impactful product and service propositions with the most recent being a new product for Customer Onboarding Experience. Having moved from India to the Netherlands, from engineering to design, working in multidisciplinary (and multicultural) teams deeply influenced Bindu’s worldview and shaped her approach of connecting the dots.

With experience spanning both agency and in-house roles, Bindu enjoys transforming user insights into innovative B2B and B2C strategies, products, and services. She ensures every voice is heard and valued, fostering an inclusive culture where teams can thrive.

Bindu enjoys a lot of hobbies - painting, crocheting, knitting, reading books, strength training, and, most recently, sending digital postcards!

In our conversation, we discuss:

* How Bindu went from being drained by early workshops to building a facilitation style that fits her strengths.

* What separates a true workshop from a meeting and how to tell if you’re running one that should’ve been an email.

* Why facilitation isn’t just for extroverts, and how any personality type can make it their strength.

* Handling tricky workshop dynamics like power imbalance, dominant voices, and unclear goals.

* Bindu’s favorite practical frameworks, including “I Do Art” and the double diamond model.

Some takeaways:

* Facilitation is a skill you can build, not a personality trait. Bindu reminds us that facilitation isn’t something you’re born with. It’s a practice that develops over time. She began by running small team sessions, learned by copying and iterating, and now has a toolkit that reflects her style and boundaries. Whether you’re introverted, new to the field, or someone who dreads public speaking, there’s a version of facilitation that can work for you.

* Preparation changes everything. Rather than starting with activities, Bindu uses a mental model that splits every workshop into three parts: before, during, and after. The “I Do Art” framework, intention, desired outcomes, agenda, roles, rules, and time, is how she checks if a workshop is actually needed. Without clear prep, even the best-designed session can fall flat.

* Workshops only work when they’re participatory. If a session is used to share decisions that have already been made, it’s not a workshop, it’s a broadcast. Bindu encourages facilitators to clarify whether people are being asked to collaborate or simply observe. When that line is blurry, trust can break down fast.

* Managing difficult participants takes quiet strategy. When workshops go off-track, whether due to dominant voices, resistance, or role-based groupthink, Bindu relies on alignment with a sponsor, pre-workshop conversations, and delegation. Giving strong personalities a constructive role, like timekeeper or discussion monitor, often brings them onside without confrontation.

* Don’t forget the follow-through. Workshops can generate energy but, without clear wrap-ups and next steps, it dissipates. Bindu closes each session by reviewing actions, assigning owners, and sending a summary soon after. She recommends ending with a reflective question to help participants carry the insights forward, like “What’s one thing you’ll do differently now?”

Where to find Bindu:

* Website

* LinkedIn

* Blog

Stop piecing it together. Start leading the work.

The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.

You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.

It’s built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to.

→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks

→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus

→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic delivery

Interested in sponsoring the podcast?

Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I’m always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors.

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

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

—

Zack is a mixed-methods researcher who transitioned from managing a restaurant pre-pandemic to becoming a UX researcher. Being homeschooled from an early age sparked a deep curiosity for human behavior and unconventional problem-solving. With a unique background, including a bachelor’s degree in film production, several associate degrees, he brings creative techniques and innovative methodologies to his work, delivering actionable insights that empower stakeholders to make confident decisions.

Zack led generative research and ideation that resulted in real estate's first AI-driven search experience at Flyhomes, addressing pain points that plagued traditional search methods for over a decade. Passionate about collaboration, he believes it’s the key to creating exceptional products, and services. As a long-form improviser, he applies a “yes, and” mindset to facilitate ideation sessions with diverse stakeholders, ensuring research leads to meaningful outcomes.

In our conversation, we discuss:

* Zack’s shift from running a restaurant to leading UX research, and how that background shaped his curiosity.

* The difference between hitting deadlines and creating meaningful outcomes across departments.

* What it takes to keep asking hard questions during a study, not just at the beginning.

* Step-by-step ways to connect with teams like sales or marketing, even when they’ve never heard of UX research.

* How to use short videos, emotional storytelling, and collaborative workshops to get research noticed and used.

Some takeaways:

* Research isn’t just for product and design. Zack treats UX like a dartboard with many targets. Impact grows when researchers map who else touches the user journey and pull those people in from the start. Sales, support, marketing, leadership; each group brings new context and different blind spots.

* Ask tough questions even when the project is underway. When Zack senses something is off, he pauses. He isn’t afraid to bring up pivots, gaps, or flawed assumptions mid-way through a study. That level of care helps avoid wasted effort later, and teams usually respect the honesty when it’s framed around shared goals.

* Start with a small ask when reaching out. Zack sends a quick message before booking meetings. His script focuses on what the other person is working toward and how research might support that. Once a relationship forms, it’s easier to loop them in during planning or synthesis.

* Workshops land better with the right mix of people. Instead of relying on leadership alone, Zack invites people from across levels and functions to join ideation. Groups merge ideas step-by-step until everyone has shaped the outcome. That approach often leads to ideas that reflect both the big picture and day-to-day realities.

* Make insights feel real. Zack uses breakup letter prompts and short interview videos to get decision-makers to stop, feel, and act. A one-minute clip where ten customers echo the same pain point can trigger more change than a research report ever could.

Where to find Zack:

* LinkedIn

Stop piecing it together. Start leading the work.

The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.

You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.

It’s built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to.

→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks

→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus

→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic delivery

Interested in sponsoring the podcast?

Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I’m always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors.

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

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

—

Dave Hora is perpetual Employee of the Month at Dave's Research Company: as a consultant, he helps leaders run strategic product initiatives and teams build well-informed product processes.

In 2011, Dave was the first researcher at a mobile startup in San Francisco, then went on to work as the first research hire at five more companies including ResearchGate, PlanGrid, and Instacart. In 2020, he went independent and founded Dave's Research Company in Porto, Portugal.

Dave co-led and co-designed the Research Skills Framework during his time as a Research Ops Community board member. He runs a small mailing list about how we make good software, and each year he takes a short sabbatical for winemaking or sake brewing season.

In our conversation, we discuss:

* Why researchers must understand the broader workflows and strategic goals their work feeds into.

* How to “journey map” your research projects to identify patterns in decisions and outcomes.

* The tension between pet projects and strategic alignment—especially in ambiguous organizations.

* The importance of gaining visibility into upstream and downstream processes beyond the research itself.

* How researchers can navigate vague strategies like “10x growth” without losing their grounding.

Some takeaways:

* Research is only valuable in context. Dave reminds us that insights have little power unless they directly support the work a team is trying to do. Strategic research isn’t about delivering answers in isolation, it’s about enabling action and influencing the sequence of product decisions.

* Journey map your projects, not just your users. To grow as a researcher, reflect on your past projects and map the decisions, artifacts, and impacts they produced. Over time, you’ll start to see recurring patterns, what kinds of questions emerge at different phases, and how research is (or isn’t) used.

* Visibility is your first step to influence. If you’re stuck in a validation loop, start by asking what happens next. Join meetings outside your immediate research bubble. Observe how decisions are made, how documents evolve, and where your insights go. Influence begins with curiosity and presence.

* Without strategy, pet projects thrive. When companies lack a clear “what we are and aren’t doing,” well-intentioned ideas, often from leadership, can steamroll roadmaps. Researchers won’t always win these battles, but they can help clarify risks, expose assumptions, and steer ideas through a more thoughtful path to validation.

* Your role isn’t to fix the org, but to participate wisely. You don’t need to solve your company’s strategic alignment or broken processes. But you can bring awareness to trade-offs, highlight what’s at stake, and help others reflect. Influence is surfacing the right questions at the right time.

Where to find Dave:

* Website

* LinkedIn

Stop piecing it together. Start leading the work.

The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.

You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.

It’s built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to.

→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks

→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus

→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic delivery

https://userresearchstrategist.squarespace.com/everything-uxr-bundle

Interested in sponsoring the podcast?

Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I’m always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors.

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

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

—

Steve is a UX researcher at MeasuringU, a full-service research agency in Denver, Colorado in the United States, and a research faculty member at the University of Denver. He has a Ph.D. in higher education with a focus on research methods and statistics, and transitioned into UX research after working in education policy and technology for over a decade. He loves the challenge of helping organizations make data-informed decisions to improve their products and services, and hopes to one day specialize in training and mentoring newer researchers in the field.

Outside of work, he loves puzzles, IKEA, miniatures, volunteering, and is currently his local Disney Lorcana champion.

In our conversation, we discuss:

* What it’s like to run user research for products you don’t work on directly and can’t influence day-to-day.

* The core differences between in-house and agency UX research and how to adapt your mindset.

* How to tactfully redirect clients when they ask for the wrong method or too much scope.

* Tips for managing clients and stakeholders you may never meet until the final presentation.

* Why agency work can sharpen your skills in stakeholder engagement, methodology flexibility, and research storytelling.

Some takeaways:

* Influence doesn’t require ownership. Even when you’re not embedded in a product team, you can shape critical decisions by understanding the business need, offering the right methodology, and asking questions internal teams may overlook. Steve shows how an external researcher can become a trusted advisor by bringing fresh eyes and rigorous thinking.

* Great research starts with pre-work, even under pressure. Agency research often comes with tight timelines, but skipping discovery is a mistake. Steve emphasizes getting a crash course in the product, team dynamics, and prior context before diving in. Understanding what success looks like and who the findings are for helps shape more actionable research.

* Pushback is part of the job and it’s a good thing. Clients may ask for the wrong method or an excessive scope. Steve walks through how his team uses clear business reasoning, previous case studies, and budget realities to shift direction without creating friction. Being honest builds long-term trust and often leads to repeat work.

* The final report isn’t just a deck, it’s a performance. You may only meet key stakeholders at the end, so make it count. Tailor insights to the audience (quant vs qual, detail vs big picture), practice storytelling, and have clear next steps ready. When done well, these sessions often spark follow-up projects or deeper buy-in from leadership.

* Agency work builds layered skills fast. Steve loves the diversity of agency life: switching between domains, juggling multiple clients, and mentoring less experienced teams. It sharpens your ability to pivot between strategic and tactical work, advocate for better research, and influence teams from the outside even with limited face time.

Where to find Steve:

* Website

* LinkedIn

Stop piecing it together. Start leading the work.

The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.

You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.

It’s built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to.

→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks

→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus

→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic delivery

Interested in sponsoring the podcast?

Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I’m always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors.

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