“Instead of thinking in terms of just bespoke discrete research studies that kind of litter the space, it’s how do these things click together.”—Jen Cardello
In this episode of Research That Scales, I speak with Jen Cardello, MVP of Design Research and Operations at Capital One. We discuss why scaling research is not about growing headcount, but about building systems that scale value across the organisation. Jen shares how a systems mindset, rather than a service mindset, is essential for scaling research. We explore why getting the fundamentals right—asking the right research questions, establishing sound operational frameworks, and focusing on business value—is critical before scaling.
We cover the importance of research leaders evolving into business leaders to drive real impact, and strategies for creating research systems that support cumulative insights, foster stronger cross-disciplinary collaboration, and encourage organisations to think beyond individual research studies towards broader, lasting knowledge.
Whether you're leading a research team, building research infrastructure, or scaling research practices, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and strategic insight.
Things Mentioned
* Research That Scales: A Research Operations Handbook (Rosenfeld, 2024)
* Inspired, Empowered, and Transformed: Marty Cagan's books about product management
* Just Enough Research: A Seminal Book by Erika Hall
* Eight Pillars of User Research by Emma Boulton
Scaling & Systematising Research–a One-Day Masterclass
This year, I’m running in-person masterclasses for research, product, design, operations, and marketing leaders in Europe, the UK, and Australia. If you want to transform research into a scalable insights-generating engine, this masterclass is for you.
Acknowlegements
Thanks, Glenn Familton, for being a reviewer and co-producer, and Avec Audio Visual for audio engineering.
