How we scaled user research at SoundCloud from one to everyone
Building on the strengths of an enthusiastic team (and one very cool makeshift research lab), we made SoundCloud a user-centric powerhouse.
Peeking inside their wardrobes - how we used in-home research, personas and rich data to spread customer-love at Zalando
Through in-home interviews and storytelling, we bridged the gap between qualitative insights and quantitative metrics to drive better business decisions, foster a deeper understanding of our customers, and fundamentally enhance our product development process.
Anne Pascual, SVP, Zalando
“Rob's contribution to Zalando was transformative. He skillfully created a User Research and Insights teeam that aligned with our strategic goals and bolstered our commitment to customer centricity. His leadership in understanding deep customer relationships and customer needs significantly allowed us to take data-informed measures. Rob's empathetic approach and depth of experience make him an invaluable asset to any team.”
Sara Belt, former Senior Insights Director, Spotify (now Director Insights, Instagram)
“Rob's unique ability to transform user insights into strategic assets, along with his exceptional leadership skills, makes him an ideal partner for anyone seeking to start or enhance their user research function and user centricity practice. He possesses a strong command of mixed methods research excellence - working across qualitative and quantitative user research, data science, and design. Rob is a strong people and project leader, coach, and builder of teams, relationships and processes. I wholeheartedly recommend working with him.”
Marianne Guillen, Senior Design Director, Spotify
“Rob enhances product development and strategy with clarity and precision, skilfully distilling complex data into actionable assets and human-centrics frameworks. His systematic, empathetic and highly collaborative approach was key to de-risking our processes, providing deep and reliable user insights and equipping leadership with strategic intelligence, thereby nurturing a lasting culture of data-informed and human-centric decision-making. His contributions were invaluable.”
Prarthana Johnson, former VP Design, SoundCloud (now Head of Design, Atlassian)
“Witnessing the transformation Rob brought to SoundCloud was remarkable. He shifted our perspective from assumption-based to user-focused, engaging effectively with all organisational levels up to our founders. His blend of passion, precision, empathy, and pragmatism has been pivotal in devising and implementing a product strategy that our users wholeheartedly embraced. Truly impressive.”
Ewald Christians, former VP Product, SoundCloud (now VP Product/Partner, BCG X)
“When Rob joined SoundCloud, he reinvigorated our approach to human-centricity, working closely with our product managers, designers, engineers, and leaders. Paying close attention to the needs of our creators, listeners, and advertisers helped us to be more precise in our discussions and make more informed product decisions. I appreciate Rob’s hands-on approach, his deep care for users, and ability to drive change while keeping the business perspective in mind. I strongly recommend Rob's services to any organisation looking to elevate their human-centric practices and to integrate user insights into their decision-making.”
Dr. Franziska Roth, VP Product, GROPYUS
“Rob had a tremendous impact on my personal and professional growth. He met me as a mid-level quantitative user researcher and gave me tools I still utilise today in my subsequent roles as Head of Insights and now VP of Product. Through his human-centred coaching, he helped me build my confidence and communication skills, maintain healthy mental balance in demanding environments, and strategically position teams in my organisations.”
Mike Rehrig, Principal Designer, Ableton
“Rob has been an exceptional mentor and catalyst for my career. His guidance expanded my UX approach, empowering me to take on complex strategic projects with high business impact. Rob fosters a supportive environment focused on growth and autonomy. He consistently encourages creativity and learning. Rob’s influence continues to resonate in my work today, enabling my career shift to Product Design. If you're searching for a mentor who can ignite your UX career and inspire meaningful change, Rob is the one.”
Paula Herrera, User Research Manager, Hotjar
“Rob’s guidance has been pivotal in my career journey. His expertise helped me transition from marketing to product research, equipping me to excel as a quantitative researcher, a skillset that set me apart. More recently, Rob's support was invaluable as I developed into a user research manager, offering insights on leadership and strategic impact. His ability to empower others is exceptional. Rob’s insightful questions guide you toward your own growth. His warmth and constructive feedback create a warm supportive environment. If you're seeking to advance your UX career, leadership and impact, I wholeheartedly recommend Rob.”
