Continuous Research: The Secret Weapon For Effective Product Teams

Traditional product building happens in sequential phases. Following a waterfall methodology, long phases of upfront research are followed by long periods of building or implementing, before the research begins again.

But this episodic style is falling out of favor with forward-thinking teams. The best product organizations are embracing continuous research, an always-on approach to gathering insights that allows for more user-centered, effective products.

In one study, 83% of designers, product managers, and researchers agreed that research should be conducted at every stage of the product development life cycle. But, only 36% of them are conducting research studies after launch.

How can they bridge the gap? With continuous research.

What is continuous research?

Continuous research is an “always-on” style of research, where product teams put practices and systems in place to habitually learn from users. Rather than conducting isolated research studies or sprints, it focuses on integrating regular research activities into the product development cycle.

Why continuous research?

The benefits of continuous research are plentiful. Gathering insights regularly means quickly responding to user needs/wants, making more data-driven decisions, and reducing spend on changes that don’t work.

According to research by McKinsey, there is a direct correlation between financial success and de-risking development by continually listening, testing, and iterating with end-users. Continuous research methods are proven to positively impact the bottom line, and you can feel good knowing that they also make your customers’ lives better.

However, the under-touted benefit of continuous research is that it makes everyone’s job at your company easier. Product teams get their questions answered faster. Developers don’t have to waste time on unfriendly user features. Sales can more easily connect with customers.

No one has to wait to get on a roadmap, because there is a constant cycle of feedback and user connection that is otherwise unattainable.

Continuous research methods

So, what specifically counts as continuous research? Plenty of methods would fall under this umbrella. Here are a few of our favorites to paint a picture of what continuous research looks like in action.

Regular user interviews

Open a time on your calendar to consistently fill with customer interviews. This consistent, lightweight user research can gather immediate feedback on new features or designs.

Regular usability testing

Find time to observe users interacting with your product. Do this often, and you will uncover patterns to improve your UX.

Ongoing collection of CSAT or NPS scores

Keep a record of customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) or Net Promoter Scores (NPS) to understand over time whether users are happy with your product. This consistent record will help you determine if product optimizations have helped or hurt your experience.

Cohort comparison through onboarding surveys

Conduct onboarding surveys and then compare cohorts over time to identify trends that may not be apparent in individual feedback sessions.

Lightweight prototype testing

Get feedback on designs from initial prototype to mid-fidelity to fully mocked up. Use the consistent feedback to iterate quickly and make immediate changes as you go.

Continuous research implementation strategies

With the benefits and methods clear, you might be ready to shift your culture towards continuous research. If so, here are a few implementation strategies to set you off on the right foot.

Start small and build up consistency

Begin with a single recurring research touchpoint, such as weekly user interviews or bi-weekly prototype testing sessions. You don’t need a comprehensive, always-on strategy when you’re just starting out. Starting small will get you into the habit, and then you can find ways to expand your efforts.

Put research on the calendar

Blocking time on the calendar for research will get you into the continuous research habit. Consider something like a Friday afternoon standing meeting that you can fill with customer interviews.

Teresa Torres, a well-respected expert and author of Continuous Discovery Habits, suggests you talk to customers every week. “Continuous discovery means weekly touchpoints with customers by the team building the product, where they conduct small research activities in pursuit of a desired outcome.”

The emphasis is on taking research from something you pause to do, into something you always do. Putting it on the calendar in a consistent cadence will help you stick to it.

Get the whole team involved

One of the best parts of continuous research is that it benefits the whole team… and the whole team can be involved! While continuous research may be led by a researcher, it can also be effectively led by product managers who incorporate it into their regular schedule.

Even if other teams don’t lead the process, get them involved by:

• Asking salespeople to ask one specific research question in each call
• Having designers build prototype testing into their workflows
• Sharing research findings across the organization

We have lots of expert insights on how to make B2B research work harder and get your team involved in the process, here.

Complement ongoing feedback with strategic research

Another great recommendation from Teresa Torres is to complement ongoing feedback with occasional deeper discovery work. When you have a higher-risk change or question, take the necessary time to do a deep dive into the data, testing, and analysis.

An always-on research strategy should ensure you’re solving the right problems and that you’re doing it effectively. A combination of lighter, continuous, and deep-dive research will make sure that happens.

Build your toolkit

Tools and technologies that enable continuous feedback will be a lifesaver during busy weeks when it would be easy to let research fall to the wayside. Set up automations and find the tools that make it easier for you to keep users scheduling, data collecting, and insights surfacing.

In the end, the value of continuous research comes from rapidly applying insights. These implementation strategies will create explicit pathways for research findings to influence product decisions within days, not months.

Who should leverage continuous research?

A shift to continuous research represents a cultural shift in product development. It’s not just a changing methodology; it’s a truly user-centered approach where customer feedback continuously shapes product direction. Most product teams would benefit from implementing an always-on research strategy, but it’s particularly valuable in a few circumstances.

Teams with limited resources

It might seem counterintuitive, but it is particularly valuable for teams that don’t have a big research budget. Even without the dollars to fund big studies, teams can leverage continuous research to uncover customer insights that guide development.

Growth-stage startups

It’s ideal for startups that are moving quickly to build and make decisions. They’re mostly throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, but continuous research can act as the safety net or gut check for those ideas. Run it by a customer and get some quick feedback instead of waiting to make mistakes in-market.

Products in rapidly evolving markets

If you’re in a market that is changing quickly, like AI, it’s a good idea to implement continuous research. It helps you adapt to evolving consumer needs more efficiently and to keep up with rapidly developing technological advancements. When you have an always-on research schedule, you can get your questions answered more quickly and implement changes shortly after.

Why “always-on” should be your new normal

Studies show that the compartmentalization of design, development, and research stages of product development “increases the risk of losing the voice of the consumer or of relying too heavily on one iteration of that voice.” Don’t let your organization fall into this trap.

User insights help teams innovate faster and build better products. The best teams today are those that learn from their customers as they build, putting the user experience at the center of product development and optimization. Consistent feedback loops allow them to deliver constant value and effectively respond to market changes.

As competition intensifies in SaaS, continuous research could be the difference between products that thrive and those that die.

If your team sees the value of continuous research but doesn’t have the resources to manage it in-house, The Good can help.

Our team of experts will be an on-demand research (and design and strategy) team that helps you get things done faster. No more waiting months to get your ideas on the roadmap.