Research Is Your Secret Weapon—Deep Dives Trump Experience Alone Every Time
When outsiders step into a new field, it’s easy to assume they’re at a disadvantage compared to industry veterans. But time after time, the founders who spark real change are the ones who approach their markets with fresh eyes and relentless curiosity. Jen Rubio and Steph Korey, for example, weren’t experienced luggage designers. After one of their suitcases fell apart in an airport, they launched into deep research—visiting stores, surveying hundreds of travelers, and even watching people pack to understand every pain point. Instead of trusting surface-level surveys, they listened to what people actually did and looked for the underlying, unspoken frustrations.
Neither founder accepted 'the way luggage is' as a given. This outsider perspective let them sidestep stale industry conventions and redesign travel bags from scratch, creating features people didn’t know they wanted but couldn’t live without once they tried them. Behavioral science calls this 'problem reframing'—unlearning standard assumptions and systematically poking holes in inherited norms. Outsiders become innovators not despite their lack of experience, but because they are less invested in traditional thinking and more invested in finding overlooked truths.
Begin your own market research by asking open questions in unlikely places—whether it’s customers, classmates, or folks outside your bubble. Don’t settle for common answers; look for those moments when people seem almost embarrassed to share their pet peeves. Document every discovery, drawing rough sketches or capturing ideas as you go. The best insights appear when you dig deeply, not just widely, and challenge what 'everyone knows.' By treating every clue—every odd complaint or funny workaround—as important, you’ll suddenly see opportunities that experts might miss. Lean into your outsider status and turn research into your secret power.
What You'll Achieve
Master the skills to identify untapped opportunities by asking sharper questions and challenging assumptions, leading to breakthrough products and strategies. Internally, you’ll build confidence in your capacity to learn and disrupt, regardless of your starting point.
Research Like an Outsider to Create Disruption
Find gaps by asking open-ended questions.
Visit stores, interview users, or study industries you want to disrupt. Write down questions no one else is asking about how products work, why services are slow, or where frustration appears.
Ignore standard solutions and look for outlier answers.
Sidestep assumptions. Focus on root causes or missing features, not just surface differences. Be willing to challenge what experts say is 'the way things are done.'
Document everything you observe and learn.
Take notes and photos, record conversations (with permission), and systematically compare what you find. Treat each answer as a clue, even if it feels trivial.
Reflection Questions
- What assumptions about your industry have you questioned lately?
- How can you observe users or customers in action instead of relying only on surveys?
- When you’ve been the outsider, what unique solutions did you spot that insiders missed?
- Where could deeper research let you bypass surface-level problems?
Personalization Tips
- A high schooler frustrated with confusing bus schedules interviews classmates and designs a better app based on everyone’s real needs.
- A restaurant manager polls customers and discoveries that a surge in takeout orders isn’t because the food is great, but because delivery is too slow elsewhere.
- A freelance illustrator dissects dozens of successful online portfolios, noting patterns in how clients describe their frustrations, and then overhauls her client process accordingly.
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