The UX research reckoning is here

Judd Antin, a longtime research leader who built user research practices at Facebook and Airbnb and now consults on UX strategy and org design, argues that user research is undergoing a reckoning because it has too often been a reactive service function focused on middle-altitude questions. The conversation covers how to make research more business-focused, integrated early in product processes, and how PMs and researchers can avoid performative user-centeredness.

01Key learnings

• Much research sits in a 'middle range' of questions that are interesting but rarely drive business decisions; push for macro strategic questions or pointed micro questions tied to the funnel and OKRs.
• Integrate researchers from the beginning of product processes rather than calling them in at the end as a service function; their influence depends on being in the room when framing questions.
• Watch for 'user-centered performance': late-stage requests to validate assumptions or check boxes that signal customer obsession without any intent to change the decision.
• Adopt a falsification mindset: aim to find out where you are wrong rather than to validate what you already believe.
• Learn the business language of your company by reading quarterly reports, shareholder calls, strategy docs and OKRs so research recommendations connect to the funnel.
• Hire researchers with a Swiss army knife of skills (generative, evaluative, survey design, applied statistics, and SQL or prompt engineering) rather than one-method specialists.
• Judge success by whether teams will hold key decision meetings without the researcher present, a sign of real influence and trusted partnership.
• Use quick micro research to find high-leverage UX fixes; Judd cites a seven-character button text change that drove millions in revenue within days.

02Frameworks mentioned

Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.