#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
Research Ops 2.0, Episode 2: Leveraging AI for Research Superstardom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:24
In just 10 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…
#169 - Summer Throwback: Eniola Abioye on Breaking into User Research [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:37
Welcome to Summer Throwbacks, were we revisit some of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes.This week, Eniola Abioye, UX Researcher at Meta, discusses what it takes to break into the user research industry. Her advic…
#168 - Summer Throwback: Amy Chess on Asking Better Questions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:00
Welcome to Summer Throwbacks, where we revisit some of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes.This week features Amy Chess (then at Amazon) unpacking arguably the most important research skill: asking questions. She s…