Awkward Silences #171 - Summer Throwback: Kate Towsey on Starting a ReOps Practice
Jul 24, 2025
Kate Towsey, a Research Operations expert formerly at Atlassian, shares insights on the significance of Research Operations (ReOps) and its growing relevance in business. She emphasizes the essential steps to start a ReOps practice while navigating challenges like participant recruitment and operational management. Kate discusses her journey from content strategist to researcher, tackling imposter syndrome along the way. Now investing in Cha Cha Club, she highlights the importance of community and collaboration in enhancing research efficiency.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Research Ops Defined Broadly
- Research ops covers everything that supports research teams beyond the research itself.\n- It includes participant recruitment, governance, tooling, and knowledge management.
Kate's Atlassian Research Ops Experience
- Kate led the research ops team at Atlassian after leaving a 12-year consulting career.\n- She emphasizes recruitment as the biggest challenge and opportunity in research ops.
Start Small and Focus
- Start research ops by focusing on one critical area, usually participant recruitment.\n- Manage workload to avoid becoming just an administrator and build value gradually.