The Optimal Path

Dalia El-Shimy, Director of UX Research at Wise, presents a framework for navigating product decision-making with confidence—from daily product decisions to the most complex and high-risk scenarios. Dalia shares how to classify decisions based on their level of risk and reversibility, along with questions and tactics to help determine the type of research or insights needed to better inform those...

Michael Margolis, UX Research Partner at Google Ventures, breaks down the Bullseye Customer Sprint methodology and how it helps startups quickly identify what to build and who to target. Learn how to use the “5 and 3 in 1 formula”—five bullseye customers, three prototypes, in one day—to accelerate learning and de-risk product decision-making. Gain practical strategies for streamlining customer dis...

Devin Harold, former Head of Design Research for Financial Services at Capital One, joins host Ash Oliver to discuss the challenges of connecting user research to business outcomes, how to effectively track and communicate the value of research, and why the future of the industry lies in driving customer-centricity across the entire business. Discover practical frameworks for prioritizing and pres...

In this episode of The Optimal Path, Jehad Affoneh joins host Ash Oliver to discuss what it means to be customer-centric at Toast, the difference between being design-led and experience-led, and the role of UX research in shaping customer-centric cultures and experiences. The conversation covers cultural shifts towards empathy and curiosity, mechanisms to foster a customer-centric culture, and how...

In this episode of The Optimal Path, Hannah Anokye joins host Ash Oliver to discuss her work on the Intuit Futures Team and the role of qualitative research in exploring emerging technologies, understanding users' needs, and identifying opportunities for new product developments. Hannah shares best practices for conducting moderated user interviews and how to generate insights that spark ideas and...

Nick Stiles, User Researcher at IBM, discusses the power of secondary research, also known as desk research, in making informed decisions, and why it is the “unsung hero” of research. Nick shares strategies for synthesizing secondary research findings into actionable insights for product teams and emphasizes the importance of storytelling and journalistic techniques in driving research impact. Abo...

In this episode of The Optimal Path, Ravi Mehta talks to Maze about connecting user research to product strategy and integrating effective product decision-making frameworks. Ravi outlines the importance of visualizing product strategy—from the company's mission to defining specific product goals—and how to balance intuition, analytics, and user feedback to make confident product decisions. Discov...

In this episode of The Optimal Path, Reggie Murphy joins host Ash Oliver to discuss how Zendesk scaled UX research, elevating the practice from a supporting function to a strategic partner to the business. Reggie shares how he led the development of training programs, automated processes, and ResearchOps to enable cross-functional teams to conduct research independently. Discover how democratizing...

In this episode of The Optimal Path, Ash Oliver discusses the future of user research with expert Dave Hora. From his beginnings in research back in 2011 to his key roles at companies like Plangrid and Instacart, Dave has been at the forefront of driving innovation through research. Now, he's here to share his thoughts on what’s next for user research—discussing the growing demand for user insight...

In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver and Senior User Research Manager Paige Bennett explore the vital role of workshops in product development. Paige shares her experience facilitating workshops in the fintech industry, plus best practices for measuring success and co-creating with cross-functional partners and customers. Join us to learn how you can leverage this collaboration too...

In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver welcomes Sander Viegers, VP of Design at Rabobank, to discuss the pivotal role of research and design in the digital transformation journey at Rabobank. Sander shares the principles that guide Rabobank's cooperative approach to a customer-centric design process, as well as practical examples of how research powers more innovative solutions for t...

In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver is joined by Amy Lima, formerly product designer at AMP @ Amazon Music and currently founder of Diversify Design. Together, they discuss the role of user research in building community products and how to start and scale a research practice inside design teams. About Amy: Amy Lima is a first-generation Brazilian-American product designer, and fo...

In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver welcomes Marcus Brandford to discuss the transformative power of research in marketing and product development. Delving into how research can inform creative campaigns and marketing decisions, Marcus shares how Figma harnesses customer insights to understand its audience and build impactful brand connections that drive better business outcomes....

In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver sits down with Roy Opata Olende to delve into the complexities of UX research across organizational altitudes. They explore the different modalities of learning that take place inside organizations, the critical need for leadership buy-in, and the challenges of communicating research impact. Roy introduces the concept of a "menu of learning" alo...

The Optimal Path is a podcast about user research and product decision-making, brought to you by Maze. The voices featured in this trailer are Ash Oliver, UX Research Advocate at Maze; Marcus Brandford, Figma; Roy Opata Olende, Zapier; Amy Lima, (formerly) Amp @ Amazon Music; and Benjamin Humphrey, Dovetail New episodes drop every other week. Follow  Maze and  Ash Oliver on LinkedIn for updates, o...

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Jo on Twitter or LinkedIn .  Resources mentioned: Continuous Research Report: Trends to Watch in 2023 by Maze in partnership wit...

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Gabriel on Twitter (@gabrielvaldivia) or check out his website . Resources mentioned: The Browser Company Team Human by Douglas...

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at  Maze . Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Aiswarya on LinkedIn or check out her newsletter .  Resources mentioned: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Alan Design: Behind...

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Jasmine on Twitter (@jazzy33ca) or check out her website . Resources mentioned: Atomic Habits by James Clear Why We Sleep by Mat...

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at  Maze . Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Julian on LinkedIn . And if you'd like to discuss the episode with other listeners, socialize with guests, and find extended h...

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze . Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Josh on  LinkedIn or check out his Instagram account (@joshdixit) . And if you'd like to discuss the episode with other listene...

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Bob on LinkedIn and Twitter . And if you'd like to discuss the episode with other listeners, socialize with guests, and find ext...

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Pulkit on LinkedIn and Twitter . Resources mentioned: B.J. Fogg , Behavior Scientist at Stanford University Friction Logs: The K...

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Benjamin on LinkedIn . Resources mentioned: Foundations of atomic research by Tomer Sharon Legacy by James Kerr Super Pumped: Th...

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can follow Erika on Twitter (@mulegirl) or check out her articles on Medium. Resources mentioned: Conversational Design by Erika Hall Just Enough...