Before launching into research, pause and answer these critical questions:

• What is the problem this research is solving? (Be specific, don’t just say “improve usability” or “increase engagement.”)

• Who are the key stakeholders, and what decisions will they make based on this research?

• What specific metric, KPI, or business outcome will this research impact?

• How will we measure whether the research was successful in 3-6 months?

Without clear answers, your research may be valuable in theory but won’t drive real product changes.