OverVIEW
About me
I'm a mixed methods research lead with over 15 years of research experience across multiple sectors - half applied, half science. My work is driven by 3 values: curiosity, creativity, and connection.
AI-Native researcher
Ai wearable NERD
Own 5 pairs of Meta AI glasses and early adopter for other wearables.
Values
Curiosity
Like studying a complex situation, I leverage curiosity to ask who, what, when, where, and why to clarify our team’s largest questions.
CREativity
I take no method too seriously. My plan with each study is to get better and stretch my research skills to find creative solutions.
Connection
To build an impactful research presence, I connect with cross-functional partners to build energy towards shared goals and connect the company to customers.
Management PHILOSOPHY
Every researcher can grow to their potential with clear goals, freedom over the process, and accountability for high quality work.
Core Principles:
- Set ambitious plans to solve core problems with your team.
- Focus on the relationship between your members and the company.
- Be courageous. Take big risks. Deliver your best work. Smile through the hard stuff.
Discussed a full-sensory research museum.
Socialization
Hear My Perspective
Chatted with Ashley about developing trust.
Collaboration
Discussed transforming options into research.
Rigor
Outside of Work
I'm an explorer and experimentalist.
Outside of work, you can find me surfing, shopping, or on the water with my family. We explore new activities and experiment with new foods.
Over my career, I've been a professional photographer and ebay entrepreneur. With each life experience, I explore new paths and experiment with new methods.
GET IN TOUCH
Contact me for more information about by work and opportunities to join your team!
IMPACT
I've conducted 90+ strategic research projects and drove product strategy with cross-functional teams that resulted in a 245% growth in Net Promoter Score (NPS) for high-revenue customers and supporting the passing of a bill in Brazil to make data ownership a human right.
Tool to simplify trading setup for novices. Increased upgrades by 14%. Researched user needs & evaluated design iterations.
Strategy builder
Business IMPACT
New account to prevent restriction. Reduced churn by 1k/week. Uncovered churn mechanism & advocated to prioritize launch.
Cash Accounts
Powerful chart to improve analysis capabilities. Increased trade volume by 3x. Identified core need and led design sprint for early concepts.
adv. Charts
Led a cross-functional team of 58 to create a user research conference. Team retention was 95%.
Research Conference
Research Impact
Created active user panel to use for rapid research that became Robinhood's 1st customer community.
Customer Advisory Team
Built a research tool to rank asset quality and provide feedback on live event artwork.
Ai-first market Research Tools
Project: AI investing analysis tool
Role: Target customer analysis + prompt Engineer.
Result: Won Peoples Choice Award!
Chart Crafter Ai
Innovation Impact (HACKATHONS)
Project: Financial fitness tracker.
Role: User research and prototyper. Result: Invited to present for engineering all-hands
FinFit Tracker
Project: Create custom NFTs
Role: Built community launch strategy to roll out to customers
Result: Created over 200 NFTs
Kitty NFT
Drumwave Research labs
Conducted direct from customer marketing research that led to
$20 million in funding
NETFLIx Live Studio
0-1 Sports studio
-
Established needs for 0-1 sports studio including platforms and members
-
Data used in over a dozen strat memos and reports
brand positioning
-
Developed a creative asset dashboard for pre-launch
-
Artwork drove 57m streams and over 108m viewers
-
Ran global brand positioning research
Global Live tech
-
Shifted engineering and product resources to live
-
Helped teams build and market a simple platform for scaling
References
〞
You were one of the first researchers I talked to at Robinhood, and I always loved the innovative/ creative/thoughtful approach you took to sharing your work! You were a true "culture carrier."
– Joyce, Research Team Member
〞
I’ve worked closely with Chris at Robinhood for ~18 months and found him to be a highly talented researcher that goes above and beyond to deeply understand customers, advocate for them internally across a wide range of project types, and most importantly, drive business results.
– Mike, Corporate Strategy Team
Experience
I've served in a number of roles from leading strategic research with cross functional stakeholders to managing and mentoring dozens of researchers.
2007-11
McNair Scholars Program
Managed undergraduate research program to empower students to enter elite graduate programs.
2012-2018
Ohio State University
Managed a remote research team, analyzed social network data in R, & implemented a psychology lab.
2018-20
IU School of Philanthropy
Co-led a national mixed-methods study on religious finances to shape consulting strategy.
2017-18
Stratos Innovation Group
Conducted participatory design research to create journey maps that shaped clients' GTM strategy
2020-23
Robinhood
Drove product & design strategy through power trader research to increase revenue & prevent churn
2023-24
DrumWave
Built the DrumWave Research Labs to conduct mixed methods research on data ownership and AI.
2024-26
Netflix
Lead technology innovation and I research for live event technology and creative strategies.
[2023] IdeoU Cultivating Creative Collaborations
[2023] Learners Research Leaders Summit
[2022] Noam Segal Missing Foundations of UXR
[2021] Learners UXR Conference Group Lead
[2018] OSU Hierarchical linear modeling (R)
[2016/2017] - Duke Social Network and Health Fellowship - Network Analysis in R
[2015/2016] UK Gatton School of Business Intermediate/Advanced Social Network Analysis
Growth
RESUme
Process
I take an rigorous but experimental approach to research. My work is grounded in my values of curiosity, connection, and creativity.
value driven research
Curiosity
During the curiosity phase, expect to discuss the project in depth to clearly understand the goals and requirements. The aim is to answer the who, what, when, where, and why.
collaboration
Connection to the customer and each other is imperative. We align commit during this phase to a research plan that fits within the timeline to help us create with confidence.
CREATivity
In the creation phase, we start building the design or scoping the project while we align on what a customer needs and how we can meet that need.
PeT PAL Kickoff
Goal to design a social media campaign to drive awareness and signups for pet owners and hosts. Chat GPT Pro Competitive Analysis
- 70% of Americans have pets
- Owners experience positive emotional states when with a pet
- Pets experience separation anxiety
Preliminary Needs Analysis
Gemini Pro + Notebook LM
curiosity-based Alignment
OUTCOMES
Drive Awareness
Where will people find out?
Increase Signups
What target do we expect?
Shape Emotions
How will we measure the vibes?
objectives
Timeline
When is the GTM launch?
Market Gaps
What are other companies doing?
Platform(s)
How do channels differ?
audience
Define Sample (94m)
Global? RTO-only? Hosts?
Value Props
What will resonate with owners?
Market Fit
What markets are the best fit?
Freedom
How would Pet Pal empower new choices for a better life?
fear
What are the major concerns of pet owners for using Pet Pal
fiction
What stories are people willing
to believe about Pet Pal?
collaborative Brainstrom
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5
1
AI Desk Research
known needs of pet owners and RTO needs using Gemini + NotebookLM
2
Market Analysis
into the pet space, competitors and the market (ChatGPT Pro)
3
Large Scale Qual
to assess how pet owners talk about their return to office challenges, needs, and current solutions
5
Max-Diff Survey
to identify core product needs and run turf analysis to develop GTM strategy
4
In-person Research
to explore value props and creative vision with rough-cut assets.
6
Global Experiment
to determine how market fit for brand promises and principles
creative planning
| Decision Area | Market Team Decisions | Need Signal | Potential Approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positioning & Messaging | What promise resonates most with owners & hosts? | Motivations, barriers, trust drivers, perceived value |
Foundational qual (IDIs / focus groups) to surface needs Scaled qual - concept tests |
| Creative Direction | Which themes/tone build trust and motivation? | Emotional & functional responses to early creative | Co-creative rough-cut testing Global Principle Analysis (IMDS) |
| Audience Targeting | Who to target first & how to prioritize? | Segments, demographics, psychographics, likelihood to adopt | Survey segmentation Behavioral profiling Industry benchmarks |
| Channel/CTA Effectiveness | What channels and CTAs drive action? | Awareness drivers, adoption triggers, friction points | Rapid experiments (A/B CTAs) combined with market scan |
| Proof & Trust Signals | What makes users feel safe leaving their pets with a host? | Trust cues (reviews, background checks, photos, certifications) | Trust signals MaxDiff, small-n experiment behavioral test on landing page |
collaborative Decisions
Cultivate curiosity about customer needs to maximize impact.
Why does this product/feature need to exist?
Who are the team and customer?
What do we know and unmet needs exist?
When is the best time to launch and hear from the customer?
Where will we conduct the study?
Curiosity
Cultivate strong connections to align on high priority goals.
Company Vision Connect our goals to the company/team vision.
Cross-XFN Stakeholders Align on hypotheses, priorities, and timing.
Research Team Check with leads to see if resources exist to succeed.
Connection
Good research empowers teams to create better plans and fresh ideas.
Experiment with new tools to build on classic methods.
Deliver foundational insights fast before creating a nuanced report.
Socialize with novel modes of engagement to tell great stories.
creativity
1
Discovery hypotheses and goals of cross-functional teams.
2
Research into the existing data and form questions to explore.
3
Creating a Plan that aligns the study to roadmap priorities and timing expectations.
5
Analyze data rigorously using theme coding, affinity mapping, or predictive statistics.
4
Design study elements that captures behavioral and emotional data.
6
Socialize the findings robust visualization and impactful storytelling.
Curiosity
Connection
Creativity
Be curious about what connects users brains to their hearts.
Why are power customers leaving?
Who chooses to leave and who choose to stay?
What do we know about their needs and graduation patterns?
When in their journey do they decide to leave?
Where are they going?
1 Discovery
Curious about why power users leave and how to make them stay.
Why are power customers leaving?
Who chooses to leave and who choose to stay?
What do we know about their needs and graduation patterns?
When in their journey do they decide to leave?
Where are they going and why?
2 Research
Aligned on how to reduce churn among power customers.
Company Vision expanded from everyday people to power users.
Cross-XFN Stakeholders aligned goals and helped with analysis.
Research Team wanted to leverage new diary study software.
3 Create a Plan
removed for privacy
4-week break-up letter study with journey map interviews.
Break-up letter 90-second video describing why they left and what happened (n=51).
Journey Map of positive and negative experiences that drove decision to leave (n=10).
4 Design
Collaborated with team to analyze data on core needs and pain points
Break-up letter Reviewed all videos for features, core needs and key phrase.
Journey Map Theme coded interviews and affinity mapped digital journey maps.
5 Analyze
.
Experimented with short-form video in "break-up letter" study.
Delivered product strategy and in-depth analysis of tipping points.
Socialized with "TikTalk to Customer" series to emphasis pain points and Journey Map gif to show emotional reaction patterns.
6 Socialize
Dear Robinhood,
I thought you would be the key to changing my life...but, when I was struggling it felt like Robinhood cared more about the business.
Case Studies
Across my career, I've conducted over 90+ studies including 600+ interviews, dozens of focus groups, and 100,000+ survey. I selected the cases below to reflect the breadth and depth.
Case Studies
Power trader Pivot
Problem: company pivoted to focus on power customers but didn't know them
Stakeholders: founders, chief product officer, head of product marketing, legal, designers, biz ops, finance
Analysis
- Robinhood top 10% power customers
- Ranked top 5 of 15 power tools
- Found slight differences across equity and options traders
Methods
- MaxxDiff survey with the top 15 tools for advanced traders
- Reported preference share, utility score, and TURF analysis
Questions
company
Who are our power customers and how do they perceive our brand, products, and community?
product
What core unmet needs exist for the top 1% power traders?
design
How will the most active customers react to our newest designs and features?
SAMPLE
- Robinhood top 1% power customers
- 6 focus groups (n=25)
- Advanced in-person screening
- Traveled from across the U.S. to NY/SF
Methods
- All-day focus group research across product, brand, and community
- Live-streaming & breakout rooms
- Co-creation; prototype, concept, & value prop testing
Impact
- Received $1.8 million to 10x and scale customer-focused conference
- Drove shift in product and market focus towards power trader core needs
- Partnered with community team to build Customer Advisory Team
Deliverables
- Report "5 Myths of Power Customers"
- Concept test recommendations to design and community teams
- Value props report to product marketing to shape language
Five Myths of Power Customers
Who are they?
What do they want?
How do they trade?
Why do they connect?
What do they think of us?-
Engage with legal and compliance early in the process
-
Include more low-fidelity, early concept for upcoming work
-
Choose more central location to better manage travel
Study Retro
Data Ownership Brazil
Problem: company needed regulatory support to launch products in Brazil
Stakeholders: ceo, head of global marketing, chief creative officer, lead legal council, business strategy
Questions
company
What are Brazilians' perspectives on data ownership and monetization?
product
How can we understand the unmet needs of different customer personas?
SALES/Marketing
What language can we leverage to introduce our product to business partners and their customers?
SAMPLE
- 35 Brazillians living in Sao Paulo
- Ages 18-64 from 5 different locations
- Looked for diversity of political and socioeconomic backgrounds
Methods
- Intercept interviews in Sao Paulo
- Designed questions to evoke emotion
- Recorded interviews with permission to share on social media
Impact
- Leveraged to establish support for a new bill supporting Data Ownership
- Provide marketing assets to sales and marketing and over 10k people signed
- Helped generate over 20 million in funding
Deliverables
- Short film and quotes for website
- Handheld tool with videos and stats about data ownership
- Personas to business, product and marketing teams
-
Record across multiple regions in Brazil
-
Include more age and socioeconomic diversity
-
Hire professional video editors storyboard the documentary
Study Retro
the Future of Money
Problem: Business is losing market share among younger cohorts
Stakeholders: co-founder/chief creative officer, product marketing, lead designer, & product managers.
Questions
company
How can we meaningfully grow the Gen Z cohort as a part of our long-term customer base?
product
How are concerns around money different for those starting their working lives?
design
To what extent would the design concept feel intuitive and drive saving behavior?
SAMPLE
- Mix of RH and non-RH (18-27)
- 8 focus groups with 42 participants
- Gender and income diversity
SAMPLE
- Mix of RH and non-RH (18-27)
- 8 focus groups with 42 participants
- Gender and income diversity
Methods
- In-person interviews with projective tools (i.e., sketching, sticky notes)
- Live and remote observation
- Affinity mapping of foundational themes and product feedback
Deliverables
- Report of major themes + insights
- Full-sensory research museum with design and field artifacts
- Future of Money digital zine
impact
- $10b increase in Retirement Assets
- Influenced growth strategy and was presented to the board
- Drove decision to launch advisory
-
Expand beyond Midwest into other regions of the U.S.
-
Conduct a follow-up survey to test hypotheses broadly
-
Provide full functioning prototypes for product testing
Study Retro
Life with Diabetes
Problem: Business wants to integrate new technology to grow customers
Stakeholders: VP of business strategy, methodological consultants, and lead researchers.
Questions
company
How will introducing a new technology potentially increase North American market share?
product
What do people with diabetes currently do to fulfill their unmet needs?
design
What design elements could make living with diabetes mores simple?
Methods
- In-home journey mapping & interviews
- Leveraged jobs-to-be-done framework to understand unmet needs
- Affinity mapped patterns and pain points
- Secondary research on competitors
Sample
- 8 people with diabetes with varying success with health maintenance
- Selected a participants from variety of competitor tools
- Columbus, OH metropolitan area
Experimental methods
- Leveraged 360 video to put stakeholders in the moment with VR.
- Represented "non-typical" health experiences using transparent overlays.
Deliverables
- 3 customer archetypes with major needs
- Diabetes product competitor report
- Large journey map with unmet needs for each stage in the journey
Impact
- Company shifted focus to customer segment with unmet needs
- Company decided to NOT integrate new technology into design
- Informed jobs-to-be done survey
-
Expand sample size to 12 to further develop archetypes
-
Integrate family members into journey mapping
-
Integrate live streaming for questions from stakeholders
Study Retro
Advanced Trading 0-1
Problem: Competitors for high revenue users offer more features & assets
Stakeholders: c-suite, general manager, designers, product managers, data scientists
SAMPLE
- 1812 respondents across three surveys
- Stratified sampling to balance existing and previous customers
- Respondent driven sampling to increase size of target customers
Methods
- Max-diff surveys of product features, motivations, and device usage.
- Designed to market size, assess product needs, and create segments
- Used Chatgpt for writing and R-coding
Questions
company
What is the market share for advanced trading assets and who are the core competitors?
product
How should we design the roadmap to build for and attract advanced traders?
design
What user behaviors are most common on different types of devices?
Survey Components
Market Size
The first component of the survey assessed the amount of active traders who were currently trading a variety of new assets that the company was considering.
Product Needs
The primary component was a max/diff assessment of the 15 most important product features for advanced trading. Lists were sourced from internal experts and chatGPT.
Segmentation
The foundation component measured motivations to trade specific assets, device usage, competitor pain points, and other demographic factors used to create segments.
Product Needs
- Top feature represented 43% of preference share for importance
- Top 5 met the needs of 78% of sample
- Device type differed for most advanced traders
Market Size
- 3% of existing traders were trading the highest priority (P1) new asset
- 13% were actively trading on second priority (p2) new asset
- Correlation between P1/P2 were high
- 3% of market
- Desktop primary
- Needed power tools
- Older cohort
- Use pro platform
p1 Asset Trader
- 47% of the market
- Smartphone primary
- Needed education
- Younger cohort
- Use budget platform
p1 Asset Curious
Segmentation
Impact
- Estimated the potential revenue using market sizing for c-suite discussion
- Set the prioritization and needs for each target customer segment
- Incorporated power tools into designs
Deliverables
- Full report deck of market sizing, product needs, and segments
- Competitive analysis report based on target segments
- Sub-reports for product/design teams
-
Run survey in trader forums to increase response rate of specific asset types
-
Offer higher referral incentive to increase respondent driven sampling
-
Increase specificity around advanced tooling needs
Study Retro
Active Trader Journey
Problem: active traders were graduating to more advanced platforms
Stakeholders: lead product manager, designers, content strategists, engineers and data scientists.
Questions
company
Why are so many customers churning to other platforms and how can we convince them to stay?
product
How can we innovate on our existing advanced product to keep them from graduating?
design
What design elements are missing from a simple approach to advanced trading?
SAMPLE
- 12 in-depth interviews + 852 surveys
- Mix of RH and non-RH (22-80)
- Diversity across trading knowledge
- Population in New York & SF Bay Area
Methods
- Jobs-to-be-done Survey
- At-home in-depth interviews
- Live and device recording
- Assessed motivations, emotions, and product needs at each journey step
Jobs-to-be-done
Mixed-methods approach to determining the highest opportunity user needs.
Analysis
- Find average importance score across a variety of advanced trader types
- Importance-Satisfaction=Opportunity
- Segment users based on trading or regress on volume for deeper analysis
Tools
Projective tools allows users to communicate through creating their journey or mapping their needs.
It is a change from a user-centered design process to that of participatory experiences. It is a shift in attitude from designing for users to one of designing with users.
– Liz Sanders,
Maketools/OSU Design
Impact
- Drove roadmap reprioritization towards end of user journey
- Revealed gaps in unmet needs and solutions using Figma
- Shifted company strategy from user acquisition to empowerment
Deliverables
- Report deck with full journey map
- Share out with recommendations to cross-functional collaborators
- Journey map in Figma prototype with short video clips of customers
-
Conduct more in-depth screening to prevent low-quality interviews
-
Launch jobs-to-be-done after interviews to assess opportunity for all needs
-
Engage upper level leadership in planning
Study Retro
Chris Munn Portfolio
By chris Munn
Chris Munn Portfolio
Portfolio representing the work and experience of Chris Munn, a mixed methods UX and design researcher.
