Why Great Research Pays For Itself

Hi there, it's Steph 👋

Let’s talk about a misconception that still shows up in too many rooms:

Research = expense.

For a lot of companies, research is still treated like a check-the-box exercise; a reactive cost center, something you do after the big decisions to validate a hunch and keep the execs comfortable.

If I had a nickel for every time someone said, “We just need to run research to make sure we made the right decision…”

But the most strategic teams I’ve worked with?

They treat research as a revenue generator.

Here’s what they understand:

• Insights create stories that resonate. Rigorous research makes people feel seen because it captures experiences beyond the walls of your team. When customers recognize themselves in your data, your story becomes theirs too.
• Insights de-risk bad bets. They help you spot what not to pursue before you waste budget chasing the wrong idea.
• They fuel competitive advantage. Research reveals what your competitors aren’t asking, what the market’s just beginning to signal, and where your blind spots actually are.
• They push you beyond the mirror. Strong insights help you build products and services for people who don’t look, think, or live like your team. That’s how you grow into new markets, not just optimize for the one you know.

In short:
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Research is a growth engine — if you let it be.
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​Best,
Steph

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TL;DR:
Research isn’t a report. It’s a revenue strategy.

Insights aren’t valuable because they’re interesting, they’re valuable when they move people. That’s the difference between a cost center and a catalyst.

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Field Notes

So how do you actually position research as a revenue generator?

It’s not one big swing (though I wish it were).
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It’s a series of small, intentional moves — in meetings, decks, Slack threads, and emails — that slowly shift research from a cost center to a strategic asset.

From: “Research is overhead”​
To: “Where's the research team? We're talking strategy and need them here!”

If your work isn’t being treated that way yet, here’s one small but powerful place to start: The Research Readout.

🤝 Set expectations early.​
Start your session by saying this out loud:
​“Welcome everyone, I want to give you a heads up that today’s research readout is going to be a bit different than what you’re used to. Today, you’re not here just to listen. I want you thinking about what resonates, what doesn’t, and what questions come up and I'll be creating space for that throughout our time together.”
​When you invite them in, they show up differently.

🗣️ Design for dialogue.​
Plan 3-5 strategic pauses in advance.
After sharing a key insight, stop. Ask a provocative question.
Then look at the Zoom tiles. Call on people.
Get the room talking, disagreeing, pontificating.
Insights don’t stick if people don’t engage with them.

☝️ Don’t just recap, recommend.​
Close the deck by highlighting the 3–4 most important takeaways. Then offer your POV: “Here’s what I think this means for your team.”
​You don’t need to have all the answers (that would be a fallacy), but a clear hypothesis helps others start building from something concrete.

✨ End with the magic slide.​
Your final slide should be bold, white, and simple:
​“What do you plan to do with these insights from here?”​
No bullets. No visuals. Just space.Let them fill it in, and own it.
(Push through the awkward first seconds of silence, that’s just them thinking).
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​Remember: We’re in the room to light the match, not just to read the report.

Don’t let your good work collect digital dust.