User research is often just expensive validation for decisions already made

A couple of years ago, a PM came to me wanting to “validate” a new feature. I asked when we could start research. He said “we launch in 6 weeks.”

That’s not research.

That’s just a very expensive and performative exercise.

I’ve led design teams for 6 years, and I see this pattern everywhere:

• Leadership decides on a direction
• Product writes the roadmap
• Then someone remembers they should “talk to users”

So teams run interviews with leading questions. They cherry-pick quotes that support what they’re building. They present findings that magically align with the predetermined solution.

Real research is uncomfortable.

It kills features you’ve already designed. It proves your assumptions wrong. It changes roadmaps and pisses off stakeholders.

If your research never stops a project, you’re not doing research. You’re doing cover-your-bumm documentation.

If you want to know if your research is real, ask yourself: when was the last time user feedback completely changed your direction?

If you can’t remember, you’re just running expensive focus groups to make people feel good about shipping what they already decided.