Inaugural Course

Learn to collect evidence like a detective, build your case like a trial attorney, and present it with a news anchor's confidence.

Dr. Ari Zelmanow

Influential Research: How to Influence Product Decisions with Research

Twitter Dev

Panasonic USA

Indeed

Twilio

Aflac

Detectives. They don't just conduct investigations—their work drives outcomes. Their investigations put bad people behind bars. Researchers (and those conducting research) could learn much from them. They don't just aggregate evidence—they use analytical thinking and logic to put the evidence together like a puzzle to build a case that leads to convictions in court. They don't just deliver data—they are master storytellers who win the hearts and minds of judges and juries by capturing the voices and emotions of the victims and witnesses, ensuring their voices aren't lost in the process. Detectives close cases. And so should you. This course will teach you detective-grade strategies and tactics—the kind I learned and used as a metro police detective—to build and close business cases that lead to product growth using customer insights, i.e., research projects that drive impact in "business speak." These skills sharpen your competitive edge and enhance your ability to identify and seize new opportunities, manage risks more effectively, and drive sustainable growth and profitability for your business. Research&nbsp;should be&nbsp;one of the most valuable functions in a business… But it isn’t. People who leverage research&nbsp;should be&nbsp;treated like senior consultants who help the business make more informed—and less risky—business decisions... But they aren't. We are going to change this. The secret to becoming indispensable to your company is to generate better insights—faster—and then have business leaders use those insights to make better decisions. It's that simple. And that hard. In just two half-days, you will become a Growth Detective and develop three foundational skills that will elevate your career and&nbsp;transform you into an influential consultant: 1. You will learn how to&nbsp;Think Like a Detective™&nbsp;to generate better insights. This will immediately differentiate you from those who use the outdated, antiquated, legacy models of data collection. 2. You will learn how to deliver consumer and market insights like headline news. You know, the kind that grabs your audience by the face and wins their hearts and minds. 3. You will learn to&nbsp;use strategic communication to influence business decisions. You will be seen as a consigliere (business consultant) rather than a service provider. Businesses protect the things they value—and YOU will be no different. Develop the confidence and skills to be seen as a trusted advisor to business leadership—and watch your impact and influence grow 🌱

Become the product strategist your business needs—and build the career you want.

You are a product manager who wants to build better products grounded in customer and user evidence.

You are a UX designer, UX researcher, or market researcher who wants to be seen as a peer rather than a service provider.

You are a marketer or product marketer who wants to use insights to create marketing campaigns that resonate with your customers and buyers.

Who is this course for?

What you will learn...

A common complaint in business is that research "slows things down." I will show you how to be "high-speed, low-drag" so that you aren't seen as an anchor ⚓️, but as a rocket 🚀.

How to Think Like a Detective™ to generate better insights faster

The TRUE VALUE of research is in collecting evidence, connecting the dots, and catalyzing decisions that: 📚 Turn data into stories📝 Stories into strategies🚀 Strategies into outcomes To tell better stories, you have to build better stories. You will learn this.

Don't just be a better storyteller—be a better storybuilder

Expertise isn't developed from using a cookbook approach to research. You can't be a master chef by following a recipe. You must develop a deeper understanding. The same applies to research. I teach you the fundamentals of becoming an expert practitioner.

Methods alone are bullshit 🐂💩

The job of research is to help business leaders make less risky business decisions. I teach you how to communicate effectively using time-tested principles of persuasion. You will leave with the confidence to deliver research that catalyzes decisions, i.e., has an impact.

The power to influence business decisions

Research has historically failed in The Last Mile of Research, i.e., explicitly connecting outcomes to the things businesses really care about. Learn to speak the language of business and connect your work to business strategy—transforming you from technician to tactician.

The ability to connect insights to business strategy

You will learn how to use a time-tested method to collect evidence, just like a detective, investigative journalist, or a physician...

Collect Evidence Like a Detective

You will learn how to build a case—and develop a point of view (POV)—from the evidence you collect.

Build a Case

You will use the Influence Triad to present your POV to influence business decisions. You will inspire trust and confidence to help the business make better decisions faster.

Influence the Outcome

Course syllabus

More proof this is the course for you!

Meet your instructor

Learn to use the SIMPLE investigation framework to rapidly collect evidence for your case.

🔎 Collecting and interrogating evidence like a detective

Learn how to capture the attention of your audience using The Topline Method.

🎤 Reporting insights like a primetime news anchor

Build bulletproof business cases that enable your stakeholders to make smarter growth bets.

⚖️ Building, presenting, and defending a case like a trial attorney

Special Guest Speakers

Course schedule

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Active hands-on learning

You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Interactive and project-based

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

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About this course

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