UPSKILL
CHALLENGE
When I joined SoundCloud, the challenge was clear: how to scale user research without constantly advocating for more researchers or risking burnout. My predecessor was on the way out as I was on the way in, which left me teamless, the sole user researcher responsible for high expectations and demands from various product teams. These teams were eager for insights and had started collecting them independently, going so far as drafting personas based on themselves - even using their own names.
SOLUTION
My first step was observing the weekly user testing rituals established by my predecessor. These sessions (carried out independently by designers, product managers, and some engineers) revealed critical issues: a biased approach toward user interviewing (coming from a keen desire to have their own solutions confirmed) and a lack of structured testing and analysis (leading to uncertain results and therefore a lack of applying what they’d learned). I decided to silence my stickler saboteur and got creative with what we had. With a few simple twists, more feedback and, later on, more structured training, we introduced simple yet powerful processes that produced insights the teams confidently applied to their decision-making.
At that point, my MacGyver mindset went into full blast. I converted SoundCloud’s recording studio into a makeshift research lab, complete with observational capabilities. This not only improved our research methods but also attracted more attention to our work, thanks to the team of designers, PMs and UX-centric engineers. This collective approach democratised user research. We also replaced the initial personas with a structured set of proto-personas based on existing knowledge, later investing in more solid models through discovery research.
IMPACT
Ultimately, by being creative and building on the team's enthusiasm, we created a fun and rewarding environment for everyone involved. We made mistakes, yes, but we learned and iterated quickly. This experience taught me an important lesson: user research is not solely the domain of user researchers but a collaborative effort. While advanced tasks or methods should indeed be managed or supervised by professional user researchers, smart people like product managers, designers, and engineers are capable of conducting basic research activities autonomously if properly trained and guided. By fully involving them, they became crucial ambassadors of user centricity, which not only increased the impact of user research but also generated buy-in for mindfully scaling the user research team, building a solid practice and democratised mindset established in those early days.
It taught me the importance of trust, collaboration, and the collective capability of a team to drive meaningful change. This experience has been a cornerstone of my approach as an independent consultant, where I continue to champion the principles of user-centricity and collaborative innovation.
UPSKILL
EMBED CUSTOMER EMPATHY INTO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
What is it?
We transform your product team into advocates of user centricity within your organisation. Our tailored programs and tools empower them to actively participate in research, deeply embed user empathy into everyday decision-making, and accelerate data-driven product development.
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Testing: Empower team members to conduct simple usability and concept testing autonomously (2 training modules, 1 day each)
Participate: Facilitate active involvement in diverse research activities, to enable stakeholders to experience empathy first-hand (1-day training)
Enabler: Empower insights staff to continuously upskill your teams (3 training modules, 1 day each)
Interested? Get in touch
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Insights-empowered organisation
Increased customer centricity
Better positioned to create solutions that resonate
Happier employees
Faster product development process
Increased research & insights ROI
