And what I know now after doing the work solo
When I first entered the field of UX research, I had a clear vision of what it would entail.
I pictured robust studies, clean frameworks, a clear chain of command, and insights flowing neatly from the field into the product roadmap.
Instead, I found myself as a team of one—balancing stakeholder requests, running unmoderated tests over lunch breaks, and trying to convince people that “users” included more than just whoever had a login.
Turns out, a lot of what I believed about research… didn’t hold up in practice.
Here are three of the biggest myths I carried—and what I’ve learned from working in the messy, meaningful reality of solo research.
1. “You need a big team to do research right.”
❌ What I believed: Real UX research needs a solid team with different roles: a strategist, a moderator, someone to take notes, a data analyst, and someone to whip up a great report deck. I always thought that I couldn’t do it the right way without a team.
💡What I know now: You can do meaningful research as just one person—if you’re clear on the goal, focused on your method, and honest about the constraints. I’ve learned that most teams don’t need perfect—they need direction. And sometimes, one well-timed insight from a scrappy solo researcher can shift more than a full-blown research sprint ever could.
2. “If it isn’t our customers, it doesn’t matter.”
❌ What I believed: The only valuable insights came from real customers who already use our products or directly impact revenue. I assumed anyone else wouldn’t “get it” or couldn’t offer anything useful.
💡 What I know now: Some of the most illuminating insights come from people outside your customer base. Newcomers, admins, volunteers, and support staff—all experience the edges of your product in ways your core audience might not. Research isn’t just about validating existing users; it’s about uncovering assumptions, gaps, and blind spots. And often, the people on the margins feel the friction first.
3. “If it’s not quant, it doesn’t count.”
❌ What I believed: Quantitative data felt more legitimate. It had charts, percentages, and confidence intervals. I assumed that my insights wouldn’t carry weight if I didn’t have a large sample size or statistically significant results.
💡What I know now: Numbers are helpful—but they’re not the whole story. A single quote or video clip, well-timed and well-framed, can shift a team’s thinking faster than a bar grall. Quant validates. But qual? Qual guides persuade and build empathy. And when you’re the only researcher in the room, being able to move hearts and minds matters just as much as margins of error.
What I know now
UX research isn’t about perfect conditions.
It’s not about big teams, giant sample sizes, or sticking to one narrow audience.
It’s about curiosity, clarity, and care—especially when you’re the only one doing it.
I’ve learned to work with what I have, to ask better questions, to listen longer, and to trust that even scrappy, small-scale research can create real change when it’s aligned, intentional, and human.
What lie did you believe when you got into UX research?
Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear what you’ve unlearned, redefined, or reclaimed.