Company
Date Published
Author
Sinéad Cochrane
Word count
1855
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

At Intercom, researchers are embedded in product teams to maximize their impact. This allows them to work closely with the team and influence decisions, rather than being relegated to a "step" in the process. The company uses a flexible approach that adapts to the maturity of its products, choosing between a lean research approach for new products and an iterative research approach for established ones. Lean research is about creating value with limited resources, focusing on reducing risk and evaluating features, while iterative research aims to evaluate and refine the usability of a product, optimizing design for conversions. Both approaches can be valuable depending on the stage of product development and the needs of the team. By letting product maturity guide the decision-making process and choosing an approach that fits the team's needs, researchers can achieve greater impact and make a more significant difference in the products they work on.