In this episode, Erin chats with Victoria Sakal, Head of Growth at Wonder, all about desk (or secondary) research—think web searches, checking internal resource libraries (like repositories), or interviewing colleagues. Desk research is a critical step when starting a new project.

Victoria shares her framework for thinking about the differences between primary and secondary research, suggesting that instead of distinct categories, they exist on a continuum. She argues that primary research is sharper, more impactful, and has better ROI when it's supported by secondary research.

In addition to sharing best practices for desk research, Victoria walks through research her team conducted on how organizations approach research, offering strategies to maximize your efforts based on specific company growth stages and product demands. The episode closes by exploring how desk research is changing in light of emergent technologies such as large-language models and the benefits of reading widely.

Episode Highlights

06:39 - Integrating desk research into your research strategy
12:30 - Desk research techniques and best practices
17:41 - Unpacking trends in the kinds of questions asked during desk research
23:31 - How desk research is evolving alongside AI technology
25:14 - The role of curiosity in desk research and innovation
34:20 - How research repositories and agile methods impact desk research

About Our Guest
With a passion for turning complex inputs (data, research, behaviors) on customers, market dynamics, and competitors into smart strategies that drive growth, Victoria has spent the last decade helping companies ask better questions to get better data, source more powerful insights, and stay on top of important dynamics that matter. Previously at Morning Consult and Kantar, Victoria now focuses on all things demand gen, product marketing, market research, and growth strategies to deliver more value for Wonder users.

More Resources on Desk Research

How to conduct (and write) a research literature review
UX research is better with market research collaborations
This database showcases AI-powered desk research tools

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