#159 - Building Cross-Functional Research Impact with Judy Xu of Salesforce

#159 - Building Cross-Functional Research Impact with Judy Xu of Salesforce

Author: User Interviews January 29, 2025 Duration: 33:31

Creating strong stakeholder relationships is important for UX researchers at any company. Doing this at "enterprise" companies—large organizations with many products and an international footprint—can feel daunting. Our guest, Judy Xu, has successfully navigated the scale of enterprises like Hubspot, Meta, and Salesforce, where they work as a Senior Researcher.

They join Erin to take us inside the enterprise, unpacking how research "happens" and what this has taught them about building cross-functional relationships. Specifically, Judy shares the value of using environmental inputs (like whether it's B2B or B2C) to map stakeholder structures, identify (and start using) meaningful metrics, and choose the right method for the moment.

Together, these strategies have helped Judy create lasting UX impact, building influence and trust with key stakeholders. Listen to learn how you can start creating more impact inside your organization, whether it's an enterprise or a startup.

Highlights

  • 06:16 Learning and Research Challenges in Large Organizations 
  • 10:56 B2C vs B2B: User Metrics vs Revenue Focus 
  • 15:43 Adapting Research Insight Presentation to Stakeholder Needs 
  • 17:43 Collaboration with Key Stakeholders and Functional Diversity 
  • 22:39 Understanding Matrix Structures: Cross-Functional Roles & Incentives 
  • 26:55 Embrace Details: Mastering Business Processes Efficiently

About Judy
Judy is a Senior Researcher at Salesforce, where she uses I use qualitative (e.g., interviews, codesign) and quantitative (e.g., text analysis, surveys) approaches to tackle strategic, exploratory, and evaluative research questions. She has worked at Meta, Hubspot, and Simplisafe, and has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University.

Resources


Awkward Silences is a conversation about the human side of building things. Hosts Erin May and Carol Guest, both VPs at User Interviews, don't just talk about theory-they get into the messy, real-world practice of talking to users and making sense of what they say. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the craft of user research, featuring candid chats with the practitioners who do this work every day. You'll hear stories about navigating tricky interviews, the weight of interpreting qualitative data, and how genuine understanding directly shapes better products and smarter business decisions. This isn't a dry lecture; it's a geeky, relatable dive into the questions and quiet moments that define UX research. The Awkward Silences podcast lives in the intersection of technology and business, focusing on the people and processes that connect them. Listen for practical insights, empathetic strategies, and the occasional shared laugh about the inevitable fumbles that come with trying to understand anyone. It’s for anyone who believes that building effectively starts with listening well.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Awkward Silences
Podcast Episodes
#189 - Throwback: Quantifying Research Impact with Ruby Pryor of Rex [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:44
This week we're revisiting one of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes.This episode welcomed Ruby Pryor, founder of Rex, a consulting firm specializing in UX research and strategic design.This episode gets into what…
#184 - Use Context For More Influence with Kristen DeLap of Econify [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:34
Ben talks with Kristen DeLap, fractional COO at Econify, to explore how UX'ers can build influence without formal authority. Kristen brings a unique perspective, having evolved from interior design to leading product tea…
#182 - The Future of Research (In a Moment of Change) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:40
Ben sits down with Basel Fakhoury, CEO and Co-founder of User Interviews, and Baran Erkel, Chief Strategy Officer at UserTesting, for a conversation about the research industry's evolution. With AI reshaping customer beh…
#181 - Why We Need Design Now More Than Ever with Karl Randay of 383 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:19
Ben Wiedmaier sits with Karl Randay, Experience Director at 383, to explore how designers can stay relevant in an increasingly automated world. Karl shares insights from working with major brands like Hilton and Jaguar o…