Ever launched a product that flopped?
It probably wasn’t the code. It was likely a lack of user understanding.
Good user research is key to building products people want. Too often, it’s an afterthought, siloed in one team. How do you create a research-driven culture where everyone, from the CEO to the intern, champions the user?
Our CEO, Prayag Narula, recently asked Tira Schwartz this very question. She’s a research leader with 20+ years of experience at Microsoft, Redfin, and Stripe.
Watch the entire conversation on building a culture where research will thrive, or read ahead for key takeaways.
Navigating Different Research Landscapes
Tira’s career has encompassed a wide range of organizational contexts:
At Microsoft, she experienced a “well-oiled machine” with well-defined research processes. At Redfin, she faced the challenge of building a research function from the ground up. And at Stripe, she joined a growing team that already valued research but was still in its early development stages.
So, how does one adapt their approach across such diverse environments?
Tira highlighted several core principles that remain constant:
First, a research roadmap is essential, regardless of the organization’s size or maturity.
Tira relies on a framework that centers around three fundamental questions:
- Who are our users?
- What problems do they face?
- How will we evaluate our product and those of our competitors?
“Start with that framework, integrate the questions from your partners and do a little bit of sussing out of what are the gaps in the current knowledge of the organization that kind of should all come together,” she advised.
Second, effectively communicating actionable insights is critical. The findings need to reach the right people in a way that resonates with them.
Third, build excellent operational processes. This will support all research activities, from recruiting participants to analyzing data, and ensure lasting impact.
In an established environment like Microsoft, the focus might be on refining existing processes and “filling in the gaps.” Redfin and early Stripe were different. The priority was “ruthless prioritization” of research and “leveraging other people” to maximize the impact of a smaller team.
The Art of Quick Wins (and Strategic Thinking)
Building trust early is crucial when joining a new organization. When a team member doubts the value of research, Tira advises patience. She suggested giving that first research project a “free pass” because “seeing is believing.” Once stakeholders experience the value of well-conducted research, they will likely become advocates.
However, Tira was quick to point out that “quick wins” shouldn’t be viewed as purely tactical endeavors.
“I’ve often thought that we create too much of a divide between the practical and the strategic research and that it’s really easy to do them at the same time if you plan ahead of time,” she explained.
Researchers can weave strategic insights into even seemingly small, focused projects by planning, asking proactive questions, and anticipating future needs.
For example, if you’re conducting a usability test on a checkout flow (a quick win). You can add screening questions during participant recruitment that also provide data for building out user segments (a strategic goal).
Untapped Power of Networked Research
Researchers often see the bigger picture. They understand the product and the customer journey better than many other teams. Tira believes researchers should really use this to their advantage.
As she asked, “Who in the organization is better qualified to understand the overall quality of the product than a researcher?”
Connected to various departments in an organization, researchers see “a larger breadth of the product” that others can miss. This makes researchers “key connectors” in a company and can help bridge gaps between different departments. They can even figure out the key players across the organization who can influence important decisions.
And here’s the thing: when researchers really build and use this network, “your value to the organization just skyrockets,” as Tira wisely said.
In complex companies, someone who can connect the dots and see the whole user experience is super valuable. The fact that research is networked and can bridge silos is always a big plus.
So, what should researchers do? They should actively build relationships with colleagues across sales and customer support departments. This allows them to become invaluable connectors and strategic advisors, extending their influence beyond the product team.
Democratization Done Right
At Redfin, Tira spent time training designers and product managers to conduct basic research themselves. The goal? To empower non-researchers to handle routine research questions independently. This created a powerful balance: empowered teams addressed everyday research while dedicated experts tackled high-impact, strategic challenges.
However, it’s not about letting everyone conduct research in any manner they choose. The aim is to elevate research quality, not dilute it.
“Definitely not the quality bar you would get from professional researchers, but a quality bar where we felt like the effort was worth it and helped us to execute towards a better product,” Tira noted.
Everyone must grasp research fundamentals, understand common pitfalls, and meet quality benchmarks. Ultimately, democratization should empower non-researchers to deliver genuinely valuable and reliable insights that confidently inform product decisions.
Research as the “Gas and Brakes”
One of the most memorable metaphors Tira used described the role of research in decision-making as being like the “gas and brakes” of a car. She viewed her role as providing both acceleration and caution:
“I’m helping unblock people, increasing their confidence to move quickly. Or, we’re slowing things down, saying, ‘Hey, we don’t have the right solution.'”
This perfectly captures the essential balance research brings to product development. It can accelerate progress by providing the confidence to move forward with promising ideas. It can also apply the brakes to avoid risks and costly mistakes.
The “Black Box” of Research
At Stripe, the situation was different. While everyone understood the importance of research, the actual process of conducting it was perceived as a “bit of a black box.”
To address this, Tira’s team broadened the definition of “customer connections.” This included activities beyond traditional live interviews, such as reviewing existing data or collaborating with user researchers.
They ensured that high-priority projects received the dedicated attention of experienced researchers. The team also helped the organization understand the difference between building user empathy and making data-driven product decisions.
Integrating Research into the Culture
Tira strongly emphasized the need to understand your organization’s culture’s unique strengths and challenges. Is there a tendency towards chaotic decision-making? Are there difficulties with employee onboarding? Research can be a powerful tool for addressing these issues.
“All of the things that we as researchers do could potentially help with any of those challenges. We can use our insights and deliverables as a way to help the culture move more effectively towards a high-quality product,” she stated.
The key is to seamlessly integrate research into the organization’s existing norms and workflows. With powerful integrations and intuitive automation, UX AI tools like Marvin can help you push research into your workflows automatically. If Slack is the primary communication channel, share insights there. If the organization relies heavily on OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), incorporate UX metrics into them.
Tira shared a memorable anecdote from her time at Redfin. She began to hear colleagues echoing her own phrases, such as “What would Tira do?” and asking, “What evidence do you have?” This demonstrates how even small changes in language and mindset can have a big effect on the organization’s approach to decision-making.
Metrics: The Good, the Bad, and the “It Depends”
Tira shared a nuanced perspective on research metrics. Her advice is to measure what truly matters to the business, ideally using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. She cautioned against focusing on metrics that are unimportant or difficult to interpret.
“If something is important to your business and that something is sort of like a mix of qual quant, try and measure it. Right. It’s not important to your business, or it’s like a proxy that is kind of difficult to understand. I would stay away from it,” she cautioned.
So, what are the key Voice of the Customer (VoC) metrics you should care about? She advocates for metrics like task success rates, which are based on users’ own goals rather than those imposed by the company, and satisfaction levels, which are linked directly to those success rates.
She also recommends including an open-ended question in surveys, such as a text box, to provide context and richer examples. The overarching goal is to find a “win-win solution” that balances users’ needs with the organization’s return on investment.
Words to Live By
Tira’s main takeaway was to approach your organization’s culture as if it were a research project itself.
“Think about the culture of your organization, almost like a research project, and then think about how you want to influence it and where you can inject yourself into the existing culture,” she concluded.
Understand its dynamics, identify areas for influence, and strategically integrate research into the existing cultural fabric.
How to Build a Culture Where Research Will Thrive: Your Questions Answered
The webinar ended with an insightful Q&A session between Tira and the audience.
How do you share your research to spread awareness and knowledge?
The best approach depends heavily on company culture. The fundamental principle is to “meet your audience where they are” and use the communication methods they already use and value.
If email is the primary form of communication, you can use email drip campaigns like Tira did at Microsoft. Sharing quick insights or video clips on platforms like Slack might be more effective in other environments.
How do you set a “good enough” quality bar when democratizing research?
Setting a “good enough” bar involves creating clear guidelines and processes to support non-researchers who are conducting research. This might involve having experienced researchers review research plans, providing training to those new to research, or identifying common pitfalls to avoid.
How do you balance your commitment to users with driving ROI for the organization?
Tira’s core philosophy is always striving for a “win-win” solution. Choose the approach that simultaneously satisfies users’ needs and achieves the organization’s business objectives.
Put in deliberate thought and planning rather than simply choosing one over the other to accomplish both.
Any luck building out research repositories to help share insights more broadly?
Tira acknowledged that research repositories are valuable tools. Still, they often have a critical missing piece: a “middle layer” that makes it easy for people to find the specific insights they need.
To help users navigate, she suggested creating a kind of “bibliography” or index of key topics and insights within the repository.
How do you protect and grow UX research as a critical competency?
Tira’s key recommendation was to integrate research into the employee onboarding process.
From the beginning, this establishes the expectation that understanding users is a fundamental part of everyone’s role.
How can research impact longer-term strategy beyond product design?
Gain access to strategic planning documents! Once you have access, actively contribute by adding research insights to relevant sections, comment on existing plans, and find opportunities to collaborate with data science teams.
Tira’s point was that if data science is involved in shaping strategy, research should also provide the “why” behind the “what.”
When you’re the sole researcher, how do you hold yourself accountable for quality work?
The key to accountability is “celebrating the wins and being authentic about it.”
Acknowledge and celebrate the positive impact of your work and your team’s contributions. However, identify areas where your research could have been more efficient and continuously try to improve your research practices.
Conclusion
This conversation with Tira Schwartz provided a lot of practical advice and a powerful reminder of the transformative potential of research.
From building a strong research culture to navigating different org structures, Tira’s insights offer a roadmap for researchers at all levels. It all comes back to understanding your organization and embracing a collaborative mindset.
As Tira put it, always look for that “win-win solution” that elevates both the user experience and the business. The journey to becoming a truly research-driven organization is ongoing, but with leaders like Tira sharing their experiences, we’re all better equipped to take the next step.
Ready to turn your organization more research-centric? Request a free demo to get started.
We look forward to seeing you at our next expert webinar!
