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Can you trust ChatGPT’s Deep Research?
That’s the question I found myself asking when I was under pressure to conduct research for a client’s brand strategy.The client had two distinct product lines and wanted to enter the market in a way that met the unmet needs of their target consumers.I decided to use the opportunity to test ChatGPT’s Deep Research and see if it could actually make my work simpler, faster, and maybe even better.This post is a breakdown of what I did, what I found, and what you should know if you’re considering us...
What If You’re Not Actually Stuck, You’re Just Scared?
It’s Tuesday afternoon. You’re home, in front of your computer, bouncing between meetings. You’re 26, and somehow it feels like you know next to nothing about life. You used to have a spark. Now you’re just tired.You look around and ask yourself some hard questions:You’re not alone.You can walk out the door right now and go sip a cocktail in the sun. You can quit your job. You can lie in bed for three days or book a flight out of the country if you really wanted to.So why don’t you?Because under...
What a Murder Mystery Taught Me About User Research
At the beginning of an investigation (or a research project), your job isn’t to solve the problem. It’s to understand it. That means listening to:When you have a clearer picture of what is going on, the right questions start to emerge.I used to prepare a discussion guide before interviews. It helped me feel in control. But on the field, I learned something important:The most valuable insights appeared when I let go of the guide.Cordelia did the same. She let the interviewees lead the conversatio...
That Scene in the Hunger Games? Yeah, that’s a Masterclass in Brand Messaging
What makes a story powerful?What makes a message so impactful that men, women and children will fight for it, defend it, and risk their lives to stand behind it? So strong that it tears at your heart, strikes a nerve, and sparks a revolution?That’s exactly what happened in The Hunger Games — Mockingjay Part 1 — when Katniss Everdeen unknowingly became the Mockingjay: the face of the revolution in Panem.But what made her the voice of a cause so much bigger than herself?She didn’t plan to, and she...
Making Data Work for You
A thought that often crosses my mind when I’m prepping for a study:What if I don’t find anything new?One of the worst things you can do as a researcher is expend time, effort, or resources only to present insights that everyone in the room already knows.It’s such an awkward position to find yourself in front of stakeholders going through a deck of findings for thirty minutes, and watching them nod, like, Yeah, we knew that already.So how do you make sure your research is actually useful?Whether...
How (not) to be a Consultant
I’ve been consulting for 8 years.In consultant world, that’s baby years. But I’ve learned a lot, and I still have a long way to go.Before I stumbled into the game, I used to think consulting was just a fancy way to describe people who talk a lot but don’t actually do anything. Now, after nearly a decade, I see it a lot differently.A consultant is many things:The real value of a consultant is not necessarily in telling people what to do. It’s in the method — asking the right questions, helping pe...
Why We Fall in Love with Some Products (and Ignore Others)
Is it love at first sight — the aesthetic feel of our favourite rooftop bar, the sleek design of a new candle?Or is it how effortlessly something fits into our daily lives, like a chair that blends perfectly into our living space?Maybe it’s the sense that this one thing just belongs to us, like a pair of shoes that fit perfectly, making morning walks more enjoyable.Every product we choose — from the headphones we wear to the cafés we go — pulls us in through an invisible force: emotion.It was th...
On intentional learning and building expertise
There’s a serious kind of writing you need to do that you just have to open Microsoft Word.Word is the digital equivalent of sitting down with a blank piece of paper and a feather ink pen. No distractions, no collaborations — no one snooping around on your document trying to see what’s happening or not happening. No fancy AI helping out, no gimmicks. Just you and your brain and your Grammarly, maybe.I recently discovered a method to become more of an expert in my field. I learned this from David...
