#171 - Summer Throwback: Kate Towsey on Starting a ReOps Practice

#171 - Summer Throwback: Kate Towsey on Starting a ReOps Practice

Author: User Interviews July 24, 2025 Duration: 44:24

Welcome to Summer Throwbacks, where we revisit some of our favorite episodes. This week's guest is Kate Towsey, who helped spotlight the relevance, urgency, and importance of Research Operations (ReOps) to business. This conversation is from her time leading ReOps at Atlassian. She breaks down the rationale for ReOps and the steps folks can take to start a practice of their own.

These days, Kate's investing in Cha Cha Club, a space for ResearchOps pros to connect and learn.

Stay tuned for an exclusive podcast series with Kate and Cha Cha Club...coming soon.

More ReOps 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: 50

Awkward Silences
Podcast Episodes
#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…
#179 - The Future of Research Operations with Kate Towsey LIVE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:28
Erin May sits down with Kate Towsey, founder of Cha Cha Club and author of Research That Scales, for Research Ops Appreciation Week. Kate shares insights from producing an audio documentary series on the future of resear…
#178 - How to Measure What Matters with Lyndsi Lee of Turnitin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:12
Ben talks with Lyndsi Lee, UX Manager at Turnitin, about moving beyond traditional metrics like NPS and CSAT to measure user experiences more effectively. The conversation centers on outcome-based assessment, a framework…
Research Ops 2.0, Episode 5: The People of ResearchOps [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:03
In just ten years, ResearchOps has transformed from an obscure Silicon Valley speciality into a vibrant global profession. Despite economic headwinds, ResearchOps roles are emerging across industries far beyond tech, and…