Finders to Builders - A UX Research Show – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome back after the summer break! This time, we host Nikki Anderson, a seasoned user researcher with over a decade of experience. Nikki discusses her diverse roles in the field, from in-house researcher to coach, and delves into her recent work, including her book 'Impact'.

We cover essential topics such as building effective research practices, stakeholder management, and navigating user research operations.

Nikki shares valuable tips for solo researchers, including the importance of engaging with stakeholders, understanding organizational context, and tracking your impact.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced researcher, Nikki offers practical advice to help advance your career and improve your research processes. (00:00) Intro (00:28) Nikki Anderson's Background and Career (02:00) Writing the Book 'Impact' (03:32) Importance of Research Practices (05:23) Engaging with Stakeholders (08:24) Research Operations Essentials (13:18) Assessing UX Maturity (18:30) Challenges for First Researchers (25:36) Top Tips for Solo Researchers (29:37) Conclusion

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Follow Nikki ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, take a look at her website User Research Academy or check out her latest book "Impact".

In this episode of 'From Finders to Builders', we welcome Pedro Vargas to discuss the significance and intricacies of ResearchOps. Pedro shares insights from his experience as a researcher starting in 2018, the importance of research jobs, and common misconceptions.

The conversation also covers practical advice for first-time researchers, such as starting with simple tools and focusing on efficiency.

We dive into areas like participant management, repositories, and the indispensable value of treating internal tools as products. Tune in to uncover valuable tips for anyone involved in research operations and learn how to effectively implement ResearchOps in various organizational contexts. (00:00) Introduction (01:50) Pedro's Journey into UX Research (04:27) The Importance of Research Ops (09:38) Getting Started with Research Ops (19:10) Common Misconceptions about Research Ops (22:45) Final Thoughts and Farewell

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Follow Pedro ⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠or check out Research Pro.

In this talk with the always amazing Ruby Pryor, we cover topics such as:

- UXR and strategy

- Research and AI

- Continuous Discovery

Timestamps

(00:00) Welcome to the Show: Introducing Ruby
(00:39) Meet Ruby: A Journey from Psychology to UX Research
(01:47) The Unplanned Path to UX Research
(02:20) Discovering UX Research in Singapore
(03:08) The Evolution of a UX Researcher
(05:49) The Importance of Methodology in UX Research
(06:30) Delivering Impactful Insights: Ruby's Approach
(08:16) Strategic Research and Its Role in Business
(12:47) Navigating Job Security and the Future of UX Research
(14:37) UX Research and AI: Embracing the Future
(17:32) Continuous Discovery: Challenges and Opportunities
(27:03) Final Thoughts and Advice for Solo Researchers

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Follow Ruby on LinkedIn or check out REX

In this first episode, I go over the reasons why I decided to start this podcast:

- What's the future of UXR?

- What's so special about first UXRs?

Timestamps

(00:00) Welcome to From Founders to Builders
(00:18) Introducing the Show's Purpose and Audience
(00:52) Episode Formats and Expectations
(02:10) Personal Background and Motivation
(04:05) The Future of UX Research: Challenges and Opportunities
(07:45) Addressing the Demand for UX Researchers
(12:13) The Unique Role of the First Researcher

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

Strategic UX Research is the next big thing by Jared Spool

The UX Research Reckoning is Here by Judd Antin

How to be a Teacher—Not an Oracle by Behzod Sirjiani

Today we host Roberta Dombrowski, a seasoned research partner at Maze and a leadership coach at Learn Mindfully.

Roberta shares her insights on what it means to lead in UX research, emphasizing that leadership can come from any role, not just those with managerial titles. She discusses the essential traits and skills needed for effective leadership, such as communication, conflict resolution, and visionary thinking, along with the common challenges researchers face.

We also touch on topics like imposter syndrome, the importance of onboarding, and actionable tips for solo researchers or teams of one. (00:00) Introduction (00:16) Roberta's Background and Experience (01:04) Leadership in UX Research (02:37) Challenges of Leading Without a Title (07:59) Traits and Skills for Effective Leadership (11:26) Scaling the Team and Transitioning to Leadership (19:16) Imposter Syndrome in Leadership (23:23) First 30, 60, 90 Days as a Researcher (27:23) Final Tips and Closing Remarks

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Follow Roberta ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ or check out ⁠Learn Mindfully⁠.

Check out some of Roberta's articles to dig deeper into what we discussed in this episode:

• Embracing onlyness: ⁠https://learnmindfully.co/2024/07/05/embracing-onlyness/⁠

• Getting to the heart of influence: ⁠https://learnmindfully.co/2023/10/10/getting-to-the-heart-of-influence/⁠

In this episode, we discuss essential steps for new researchers joining a company.

How to prepare during the interview process, how to better understand company dynamics in the first 30-60 days, and how to set yourself up for success through identifying key stakeholders and current research practices.

We talk about the importance of understanding the 'who, how, and where', the team's operational setup, and how to approach this with a playmaker mindset to elevate the overall research culture within the company. (00:00) Introduction to the First Researcher Role (00:26) Preparing During the Interview Process (02:22) Starting the Job: Onboarding Essentials (04:04) Understanding the Team and Their Roles (06:42) Exploring Existing Research Practices (08:54) Identifying Current and Future Research Opportunities (12:10) Operational Setup and Long-Term Planning (15:26) Conclusion and Community Engagement

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Today we're joined by Caitlin Sullivan, a consultant who has focused on startups and scale-ups since 2018. Caitlin shares her passion for product-market fit research and outlines the challenges and approaches to managing research in early-stage companies, emphasizing the importance of moving fast and democratizing research within the team. Caitlin also delves into the impact of AI on user research and provides tips for integrating AI tools into the research process. (00:00) Introduction (01:43) Working with Startups and Scale-ups (03:06) The Role of Research in Startups (05:03) Challenges and Mindsets of Founders (08:30) When to Hire a User Researcher (11:05) Early Stage vs. Later Stage Research (17:24) Building Research Practices in Startups (26:54) AI and the Future of User Research (33:10) Tips for First Researchers (36:39) Conclusion and Farewell

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In this episode of 'From Founders to Builders,' we delve into the intricate world of product discovery, a framework widely embraced in the product space.

We analyse its premise, the importance of operational efficiency, and the pitfalls of a wrong execution.

How do researchers come into play? How can we get involved? Find out this and more on this episode. (00:00) Introduction (01:15) Defining Product Discovery (05:12) Operational Challenges in Product Discovery (08:05) Quality and Cadence (11:31) The Role of Researchers (14:33) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Enter Yao Adantor, a seasoned UX researcher and the founder of Research Bookmark. Yao shares his journey in UX, offering key insights on the evolution and future directions of UX research.

We delve into the importance of building bridges between UX and business stakeholders, and strategies for aspiring researchers. Additionally, learn about the upcoming UXConf 2024 and how attending could benefit your professional journey.

(00:00) Intro

(00:43) Enter Yao Adantor

(01:38) Deep Dive into Research Bookmark

(03:17) The Future of UX Research and Industry Growth

(05:45) Bridging Research and Business for Impact

(17:04) The Evolution of UX Researchers

(25:24) Advice for First Researchers in Organizations

(30:30) Announcing UXConf and Final Thoughts

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Follow Yao ⁠⁠on LinkedIn ⁠⁠ or check out ⁠⁠Research Bookmark

Workshops can change your game. It can help you align teams, move projects forward and take your insights that extra mile into the product. In this episode, I explore how workshop facilitation changed my career and why everybody should learn this skill. (00:00) Introduction to Workshop Facilitation (01:12) The Essence and Impact of Facilitation (02:12) A Personal Journey into Facilitation (08:52) The Importance and Uses of Workshops (12:24) Getting Started with Workshop Facilitation (15:03) Final Thoughts and Resources

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