By David Schneer 7-Minute Read Astute Marketers Set Aside 1-5% for Research—The Rest Just Watch Their Money Burn. I’ve often been asked what benefits product managers can derive before launching a new product. That’s a good question. In my new book, “BACKBONE: Surviving the Road Less Quantified; Toward a Deeper Understanding of Qualitative Research,” I […]
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Merrill Research: Pioneers of Product Innovation
By David Schneer 2-Minute Read At Merrill Research, we’ve been shaping industries and products for decades. From the earliest handheld devices to the latest advances in AI and body language analysis, our work has left an indelible mark on the market research landscape since 1986. If you’ve ever used an inkjet or laser printer, smartphone, […]
The Dangers of Synthetic Sample
These Respondents Have Never Bought Anything—And They’re Here to Judge Your Product By David Schneer 7-Minute Read You just completed a study among hundreds of prospective customers to understand their needs and reactions to your product. You’re super excited because the results took only 3 minutes to render for under $100. That’s because you used […]
Synthetic Respondents: The Promise, The Pitfalls, and The Reality Check
By David Schneer 5-Minute Read I did not see this coming; but neither does it surprise me. Artificial or Synthetic Respondents are here and about to hit sample providers like a wrecking ball. In the ever-evolving world of market research, synthetic respondents have emerged as a potentially disruptive force. Powered by AI, these digital personas […]
Crutch Meets Code!
By David Schneer 4-Minute Read How AI Helps Me Walk, Talk, and Research Smarter On Christmas Eve 2015, my life changed dramatically when I was brutally assaulted in my own home. After five major spinal surgeries, including lumbar and cervical fusions, I found myself permanently disabled with drop foot of my left ankle. My journey—fighting […]
The Role of Micro-expressions in Uncovering Hidden Emotions During Qualitative Research
By David Schneer 6-Minute Read One of the lessons of Watergate was follow the money. Another was, watch what they do, not what they say. That’s where my new book “BACKBONE: Surviving the Road Less Quantified; Toward a Deeper Understanding of Qualitative Research” comes in. Chapter 5, “Listening with Your Eyes,” describes the importance of […]
“More Than Words: The Hidden Body Language of Trump and Zelensky”
By David Schneer 9-Minute Read An Apolitical Analysis of Their Gestures and What They Mean Normally, I don’t analyze public luminaries or politicians, but over the weekend, several connections asked me what I saw during the Trump-Zelensky exchange. So, I sat down with my notepad and watched the full version of the episode on CSPAN. […]
False Prophets and Misguided Predictions: A Historical Perspective
By David Schneer 6-Minute Read Warnings of impending doom and false prophets are as old as time itself. Scripture abounds with admonitions against false prophets, from the Old Testament (e.g., Deuteronomy 13:1-3; Jeremiah 23:16) to the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 7:15; 2 Peter 2:1). Just as ancient “seers” foretold events that never transpired, today’s technology […]
“Confirmation Bias: The Silent Architect of Our Beliefs”
By David Schneer 3-Minute Read Recently, I published a blog in which I posited that context is to communications what location is to real estate. Without context, communication is compromised when the interrelated parts of the whole become existentially distorted. Contextual misalignment is often the result of something we humans exhibit: Confirmation Bias. Great Gatsby […]
Mr. Big is Pissed!
By David Schneer 3-Minute Read Practical Applications for Nonverbal Intelligence and Spotting Emotions in Humans and Dogs That’s my friend Mr. Big. He’s angry. His mom walked away from the car—only a few steps, but he didn’t like it. And he let her know. Not with a bark, snarl or growl but rather with a […]