Research That Scales is a nine-part podcast series inspired by my book, Research That Scales: A Research Operations Handbook (Rosenfeld, 2024). In each thirty-minute episode, I speak with a brilliant research mind, weaving in voice notes and sound design to bring their stories to life. Together, we explore what scaling research means, beyond the platitudes and jargon, and what it takes to turn the vision of scalable, impactful research into a robust reality.
“Scaling research isn’t just about hiring more researchers—it’s about empowering the entire organisation to make informed, customer-centric decisions.”—Ned Dwyer
In this episode, I speak with Ned Dwyer, co-founder and CEO of Great Question. We dive deep into the topic of democratizing research, discussing how companies can empower teams to make truly customer-centric decisions without losing control or creating unnecessary bottlenecks.
Ned shares real-world examples of successful, scaled-up research democratisation practices and highlights key learnings from less successful scenarios. Drawing on analogies from stadium and traffic design, we explore the importance of thoughtful system design to efficiently manage research demand, even at very large scales.
Whether you’re scaling insights, building infrastructure, or shifting company culture, this episode offers invaluable insights on operationalising research for maximum impact.
Things Mentioned
* My book, Research That Scales: A Research Operations Handbook (Rosenfeld, 2024)
* Great Question: Ned Dwyer’s company
* Brex: a financial technology company, and a democratisation case study mentioned by Ned
* Strategic Services Simple Sabotage Field Manual: an infamous CIA guide discussed by Ned
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.
Find out more: katetowsey.com/masterclasses
Thanks
Thanks, Glenn Familton, for being a reviewer and co-producer, and Avec Audio Visual for audio engineering.
