The Learners Podcast

Asha Bhatia is the Director of Product at HoneyBook. Samuel Henschen is a Sr. UX Researcher at a stealth startup. Together, Asha and Samuel recently welcomed twins. On this episode, join us to hear from Asha and Samuel about what it's like welcoming two (not just one!), building an ongoing support network, and balancing the involvement of family and help. Find Asha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashacbhatia/ Find Samuel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelhenschen/

George Margrove is a Sr. Principal Psychologist at Workday, and has held a number of interesting roles like Principal Psychologist, Head of Insight, and Sr. Business Psychologist. George joins us to talk about avoiding hallucinations in your analysis, training your teammates on AI tools and the promise of greater researcher productivity. Find George on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-margrove-phd-b35800a6/

Zabrina Hossain is a product leader previously at Wealthsimple, Shopify, and Snap. Zabrina joins us to talk about her transition into parenthood, discovering her identity as a working mother, and the differences between taking maternity leave at an early stage vs established startup. Find Zabrina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zabrina-hossain-58bb61b/

Basel Fakhoury is the Co-Founder and CEO of User Interviews, the user research recruitment platform for teams. Basel joins the Learners podcast to talk about the growth of research in industry - what's changed, and what hasn't. Basel Fakhoury on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baselfakhoury Learn more about User Interviews: https://www.userinterviews.com

Bretton Fosbrook, Principal Product Researcher at LaunchDarkly, shares insights from his journey in tech research. He discusses scaling research without a dedicated team and building trust with executives, revealing how to navigate complex dynamics. The conversation touches on the integration of AI in usability testing and the evolving landscape of research roles. Fosbrook emphasizes the significance of startup metrics, showcasing how humility and clear communication can drive impactful decision-making. Expect humor and depth as he unpacks the challenges faced by researchers.

Athena Petrides is a Sr. UXR Lead at Glassdoor, and parent to a 13 month old. Join us as we talk about the challenges of returning to work in a fast paced environment like tech. Find Athena on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/athena-petrides-9a1a7a35/

Oren Friedman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rally, a CRM for UXRs. Join us as we talk about his early career working in a different kind of research, the path to product-market fit, and key learnings from building a company (not just a product). Find Oren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oren-friedman/ Learn more about Rally: https://www.rallyuxr.com

Lucas Puente, VP of Research at Slack and former Chief Economist at Thumbtack, dives into the world of user research. He discusses the crucial role of surveys in understanding consumer behavior and marketplace dynamics. Lucas passionately defends the Net Promoter Score as a vital metric, shedding light on its strengths and weaknesses. He also explores how Slack uses data-driven insights to shape product strategy in the evolving work landscape and touches on the exciting potential of synthetic data while emphasizing careful research design.

Lacy Miller, Head of Growth Marketing at Perigon and an expert in innovative marketing strategies, dives into the evolving landscape of marketing. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity and creativity, advocating for raw, imperfect approaches that foster genuine connections. Lacy discusses the impact of platforms like TikTok on content engagement, the need for marketers to adapt to shifting dynamics, and the power of simple recognition in the workplace. Her insights highlight the necessity of relationships in a rapidly changing digital world.

Chris Nguyen is a design educator and the Founder of UX Playbook. Join us as we talk about the different journeys into design, how design education is changing, and what the role of a designer could look like in the future. Find Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uxchrisnguyen/details/experience/