Summary
Today data science, market research, and UX research are predominantly locked up in individual silos. This is a problem because companies are missing out on the full picture, research is repeated, and good insights are going to waste. In this session, Andrew shares how to build a product insights team that enables you to build bridges and tell more holistic narratives about your customers. The talk will cover how to set up the team, the different structures we see, and how you can get started today by getting the teams to work more efficiently together in the interim.
Key Insights
-
•
Combining qualitative user research with quantitative analytics provides deeper, actionable product insights than either method alone.
-
•
User behavior changes detected in data often lack explanatory context without qualitative research, as Andrew's Spotify example shows.
-
•
Data analytics and UX research teams frequently operate in silos, missing opportunities for collaboration despite shared goals.
-
•
A shared hypothesis, such as focusing on the ideal customer profile (ICP), can align cross-functional teams and reduce redundant research work.
-
•
Relying solely on data for customer profiles can reinforce existing product biases and miss broader market opportunities.
-
•
Starting a BI practice often means navigating shifts from qualitative to quantitative emphasis, then settling into a balanced hybrid that works for the organization.
-
•
Three main organizational models for insights teams are embedded squads, centralized centers of excellence, and hybrid approaches, each with their own trade-offs.
-
•
Owning the research backlog and aligning work to company OKRs enables the insights team to deliver maximum business impact and say no to less relevant requests.
-
•
Cross-pollination of analysis between researchers and analysts during data collection and interpretation enhances the quality and buy-in of insights.
-
•
Existing documentation tools like Confluence are insufficient for managing research knowledge, inspiring new solutions like Everywhere to prevent data silos.
Notable Quotes
"Without Jim, what we're going to see today would have been a lot worse."
"My playlist changed drastically when my son was born, but data alone wouldn’t explain why."
"Combining the what we see in data with the why we get from user research is where true insights live."
"Typically, data analytics teams are big and well-funded, while UX research teams are smaller and struggle for resources."
"Data analysts and user researchers rarely work together effectively, which is one of the biggest missed opportunities."
"At Hotcho, we started with a qualitative focus, swung too far into quantitative, and then found a balanced middle ground."
"You’ve got to take control of the backlog and position your team as value-driven, not just servicing individual teams."
"Embedded squads build domain expertise but risk losing knowledge if someone leaves, while centralized teams help reduce duplicated effort."
"Marketing is an essential collaborator because they help package and communicate insights organization-wide."
"Existing research repositories die at the bottom of slide decks; that’s why I started Everywhere to rethink how we manage insights."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"It’s critical to create space between projects so teams can decompress; jumping from one trauma-heavy project to another isn’t sustainable."
Brian MossWhat Does it Mean to be a Resilient Research Team?
March 9, 2022
"Carol was really grateful for our conversation."
Randolph Duke IIWar Stories LIVE! Randy Duke II
March 30, 2020
"We are guardians and stewards of that story, giving people the agency to share their experience."
Kwabena Opoku Leonie Annor-Owiredu Sam LadnerMethodological toolkit for unique research impact
March 11, 2026
"Allies in the room who are not affected by bias are critical voices to help call out inequities."
Anna Avrekh Amy Jiménez Márquez Morgan C. Ramsey Catarina TsangDiversity In and For Design: Building Conscious Diversity in Design and Research
June 9, 2021
"The equity pause helps you recognize what biases might be present before making decisions impacting lives."
Noah BondRedefining truth and inclusivity: Navigating data ownership and ethical research in the age of disinformation
March 11, 2025
"Excessive messaging leads to change fatigue, especially during times like a pandemic."
Sara Asche Anderson Jamie KaspszakNot Your Ordinary Re-Brand: Design's Path to Driving Customer Obsession at Best Buy
January 8, 2024
"We need to get comfortable with the unknown and embrace that some days we’ll sprint and others we’ll fall flat — but we go farther together."
Tricia WangSpatial Collapse: Designing for Emergent Culture
January 8, 2024
"Being a semiotician today is like reading everyday cultural signals to spot the bigger concepts behind user choices."
Soma Ghosh Savina Hawkins Dave Hoffer Rob Thomas Victor UdoewaWhat emerging methods are advancing UX research [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
September 28, 2023
"We as researchers have gotten good at delivering answers but lost sight of where the learning loop connects into the bigger organizational context."
Sharon Banh Dave Hora Marieke McCloskey Alicia ZhongReimagining research: What does the field need to grow? [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
October 16, 2024
