Evidence beats opinion: How Miro runs strategic user research
Josh leads user research at Miro, where they turn real user insights into strategic decisions. Here, he shares how they've turned user research from something nice to have into a critical strategic function that helps them to make smarter decisions every day.
Main Takeaways
- Evidence from actual conversations shapes truly valuable decisions.
- Collecting more data isn’t useful unless it clearly impacts your product choices.
- Three short conversations can reveal big opportunities and quickly convince leaders of research’s value.
User research as a strategic advantage
At Miro, we strongly believe that listening to real people is critical to our survival. It's not enough just to build features; we have to ensure these features genuinely solve real problems for our users.
The first thing I emphasize is that talking to even a single user is better than not talking to any. Teams that rely on evidence rather than opinions consistently lead their markets, and that's exactly what we're striving for at Miro. User engagement today isn't just best practice—it's essential for being competitive.
I often compare user research to chess: If you can't see the board clearly, you can't make strategic moves. Research gives us this clarity, helping us understand precisely what users need and how Miro fits into their workflows. Without research, building a product roadmap is merely guesswork.
Quality of insights over quantity
It’s not about conducting more research; more doesn’t necessarily mean better. The key is ensuring every insight leads to meaningful actions. The real challenge isn’t collecting data; it’s turning findings into decisions that directly improve our products.
To quickly demonstrate research value to leadership, we’ve adopted a practical approach—simple yet impactful studies. For example, just three user conversations, each around 30 minutes, recently uncovered why users struggled to find a key feature, directly prompting a redesign. These quick demonstrations clearly show leaders how immediate and valuable user insights can be.
Structuring the research team
A critical decision for us was how to structure our research team. We considered two options: an agency model, with researchers joining temporarily as needed, and an embedded model, where researchers integrate deeply into product teams. At Miro, we chose the embedded model because continuous involvement and deeper context consistently lead to richer insights and better product decisions.
When building our team, we prioritize researchers with strong domain expertise and match seniority to the complexity of their projects. This ensures our research remains effective and meaningful, avoiding overwhelming junior researchers.
Bridging analytics and qualitative research
Another essential part of our approach is fostering close collaboration between researchers and our data analytics teams. Data analytics show us what users do, but research helps us understand why. By combining quantitative data with qualitative research, we gain comprehensive insights that significantly inform our product decisions.
We actively encourage this collaboration because it doesn't just happen on its own—it's intentionally cultivated.
Turning insights into actions with AI
We use an AI-powered repository that organizes past research insights, making them easily accessible. However, documentation alone isn't enough to drive action. Real impact comes from regular rituals—team meetings, backlog discussions, and roadmap planning sessions—that keep insights at the forefront of decision-making.
AI helps us handle data quickly, transcribing interviews and summarizing initial patterns, but it remains just a starting point. Human interpretation provides the essential nuance and emotional depth needed for truly valuable insights.
Looking ahead: The future of user research
We're excited about continually evolving our research methods. Our future focus includes maintaining continuous user engagement through always-on participant pools and positioning researchers as strategic facilitators who guide teams in asking the right questions. We aim to prioritize powerful research questions over merely gathering data.
For teams looking to enhance their research practices, our advice is straightforward:
- Start small with targeted studies to quickly prove value.
- Decide early on the appropriate research model.
- Strengthen collaboration between researchers and data analysts.
- Actively track insights and their impact on decisions.
- Utilize AI tools effectively but rely on human judgment for deeper insights.
At Miro, we firmly believe great products start by asking bold questions, actively listening to users, and swiftly turning insights into actions. This approach has transformed our user research from a supporting function into a central strategic driver of our ongoing product success.
How product managers and researchers work best together
I've learned that the best outcomes can happen when product managers and researchers actively collaborate. Researchers aren’t just data collectors; they're strategic partners who help spot assumptions, challenge biases, and uncover overlooked insights. We encourage frequent joint participation in planning and roadmap sessions, ensuring insights directly shape product decisions.
By turning research into an ongoing, dynamic conversation—not just occasional reports—we keep user insights consistently integrated into our decision-making process, ultimately leading to better, more successful products.