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Your Business Deserves Research-Grade Decisions
We combine fractional research leadership, AI-powered market intelligence, product validation, user research, and competitive analysis — so every major decision you make is backed by data, not instinct.
No long-term contracts. Cancel anytime. Plans from $3,000/mo.
Accuracy
Trusted by decision-driven founders at
One Research Team. Every Insight Function.
Most founders make critical decisions based on gut feel, anecdotal customer feedback, or a competitor's pricing page. We replace that with a coordinated research function — powered by AI, led by senior researchers, and built to inform every major call you make.
Know Your Market Better Than Your Competitors Know Theirs.
Continuous competitive monitoring, market sizing, whitespace identification, and positioning analysis — so you always know where the opportunity is and where the threat is coming from.
- Competitive landscape mapping
- Market sizing & TAM/SAM/SOM
- Whitespace & opportunity identification
- Monthly competitive intelligence reports
Build What Users Actually Need. Not What You Think They Do.
Structured user interviews, usability testing, journey mapping, and behavioural analysis — so every product decision is grounded in how real users think, feel, and behave.
- User interviews & moderated testing
- Usability studies & heatmap analysis
- Journey mapping & friction identification
- Research synthesis & insight reports
Turn Raw Data Into Decisions That Actually Move the Needle.
AI-powered analysis of your product data, customer data, and market data — synthesised into clear, actionable dashboards and reports your leadership team can actually use.
- Product analytics & behavioural data
- Cohort analysis & churn modelling
- Executive dashboards & reporting
- AI trend detection & signal analysis
Validate Before You Build. Kill Bad Ideas Cheaply.
Concept testing, prototype validation, feature prioritisation research, and jobs-to-be-done analysis — so your roadmap is built on signal, not assumptions from a planning offsite.
- Concept & prototype testing
- Jobs-to-be-done research
- Feature prioritisation studies
- Pricing sensitivity analysis
Hear What Your Customers Are Actually Telling You.
NPS analysis, churn interviews, win/loss research, and longitudinal survey programmes — designed to surface the signal in customer feedback before it shows up in your metrics.
- NPS & CSAT programme design
- Churn & win/loss interviews
- Longitudinal survey programmes
- Voice-of-customer synthesis
See Around Corners. Move Before Your Market Does.
Emerging trend identification, technology landscape analysis, regulatory impact research, and sector intelligence — so your strategy is ahead of the curve, not chasing it.
- Emerging trend identification
- Technology landscape scanning
- Regulatory & macro impact analysis
- Quarterly sector intelligence reports
Research Projects Delivered
First Insights Delivered After Onboarding
Data Points Analysed Per Quarter
Client Decision Accuracy Rate
From Brief to Boardroom-Ready Insights in Days
No six-week research sprints before you see anything. No 200-slide decks that sit unread. We move fast, synthesise ruthlessly, and deliver insights in a format that actually drives decisions.
Research Strategy Call (30 min)
We understand your decisions, your unknowns, and your deadlines. We map exactly what research would unlock the most value for your stage and goals.
Research Plan & Scope
Within 24 hours we deliver a custom research plan — methods, timelines, deliverables, and how each piece of research feeds a specific decision you need to make.
First Insights in 48 Hours
We begin with the fastest-to-answer, highest-impact questions first. You get actionable insights within 48 hours of signing — not after a six-week discovery phase.
Ongoing Research Partnership
Continuous intelligence — market monitoring, user research cadences, quarterly trend reports, and always-on data analysis. Research becomes a function, not a project.
Every Research Role Your Team Needs — Without the Headcount
A full-time Head of Research costs $180K–$280K per year. Add a UX Researcher, Data Analyst, and Market Intelligence Lead and you're past $600K. We give you the full research function on a flat monthly retainer.
Built for Founders Who Are Tired of Making Major Decisions in the Dark
If any of these sound familiar, we built this for you.
You're about to enter a new market and have no idea what you don't know
Market entry without research is expensive. We map the competitive landscape, identify the whitespace, and tell you exactly where your ICP is underserved — before you commit budget.
Your product team is building based on internal assumptions, not user reality
When founders and PMs speak for customers, you get features users don't want. We run the user research that tells your team what to build, what to kill, and what to prioritise.
You have data everywhere but no one is turning it into decisions
Product analytics, CRM data, survey responses, support tickets — all sitting there untouched. We synthesise it into a clear picture of what's working, what isn't, and what to do next.
You're raising and investors are asking questions you can't answer with data
Market size, competitive positioning, user validation, retention drivers — investors probe these hard. We give you the research that makes your story defensible in a data room.
You're losing customers and don't know the real reason why
Churn surveys get 8% response rates and tell you nothing useful. We run structured exit interviews, synthesise the signal, and identify the root cause before another cohort churns.
Not a Survey Tool. Not a One-Off Study. A Research Function.
Survey platforms give you data. Consultants give you a deck. Neither gives you an always-on research capability that compounds over time. We do.
Transparent Pricing. Research Without the Agency Markup.
All plans include a dedicated research team, monthly briefings, and direct Slack access. No hourly billing. No per-study fees. No surprises.
- Market Research (1 report/mo)
- Competitive Intelligence Monitoring
- Customer Survey Design & Analysis
- Monthly Research Briefing
- Dedicated Researcher (Slack)
- User Research & Interviews
- Data Analysis & Dashboards
- Product Research & Validation
- Everything in Foundations
- User Research (8 interviews/mo)
- Usability Testing & Analysis
- Data Analysis & Dashboards
- Product Validation Studies
- Churn & Win/Loss Interviews
- Quarterly Trend Report
- Fractional Head of Research
- Everything in Research Engine
- Fractional Head of Research
- Unlimited User Interviews
- Full Data Analysis Programme
- Board-Level Research Reporting
- Investor Research & Due Diligence
- Research Team Hiring Support
- Priority Same-Day Response
All plans are fully customisable. Need a bespoke scope? Talk to us →
How We Stack Up
See exactly what you get — compared to every other research option available to you.
| Feature | Survey Tool | Research Agency | Skillfi Us | In-House Hire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always-on intelligence | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| First insights in 48 hrs | ✕ | ✕ 6–10 wks | ✓ | Sometimes |
| User interviews included | ✕ | Charged extra | ✓ | ✓ |
| Competitive monitoring | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | Sometimes |
| Decision-led synthesis | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Data analysis included | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Flat monthly fee | ✓ Per seat | ✕ Per project | ✓ | ✕ Salary |
| Typical annual cost | $5K–$30K | $80K–$300K+ | $36K–$120K | $150K–$280K |
What Founders Actually Say
"We were about to spend $2M entering a new vertical based on gut feel and a few customer conversations. Skillfi ran a full market research study in three weeks. It confirmed the opportunity — but identified a segment we'd completely missed that's now our biggest revenue driver."
"The user research alone changed our entire roadmap. We'd been building a feature for six months that our users didn't actually want. Skillfi's interviews surfaced the real problem in two weeks. We killed the feature and built the right thing instead."
"Our churn was at 18% and we had no idea why. The exit interview programme Skillfi set up identified three root causes we'd never have found from NPS alone. We fixed two of them in 90 days and churn dropped to 9%."
"The competitive intelligence reports are the first thing I read every month. Skillfi tracks every meaningful move our competitors make — pricing changes, product updates, new hires, partnership announcements. We've stopped being reactive and started being proactive."
"We needed to validate our pricing model before a major rebrand. Skillfi ran a conjoint analysis and pricing sensitivity study in three weeks. It gave us the confidence to increase prices by 40% — and we had data showing exactly which segments would and wouldn't churn."
"Our Series B investors asked us to prove the market size with primary research, not analyst reports. Skillfi built the study, ran the analysis, and delivered a deck-ready market sizing model in four weeks. Our lead investor called it the most rigorous market research they'd seen from a Series B company."
Questions Founders Actually Ask
Within 48 hours of signing. We prioritise the fastest-to-answer, highest-impact questions first. Competitive intelligence and existing data analysis begins immediately. User interviews and primary research studies take 2–4 weeks depending on scope, but we deliver interim findings throughout.
We recruit from multiple sources — your existing customer base, our research panel network, LinkedIn outreach, and specialist panel providers for hard-to-reach segments. We screen all participants against your ICP criteria before scheduling. Recruitment timelines vary by target audience but are typically 5–10 business days.
We deliver in whatever format actually gets used — executive summaries for founders and boards, detailed reports for product and strategy teams, live dashboards for data analysis, and Slack briefings for ongoing intelligence. We don't do 200-slide decks that sit unread. Every deliverable leads with the decision implications, not the methodology.
Yes. All retainers are month-to-month with 30 days' notice. No lock-in contracts, no penalties. We earn your business every month — we don't trap you in it.
Yes — both. Our methodologies adapt to your market. B2B research typically involves longer recruitment timelines and more structured interviews with multiple stakeholders. B2C research often involves larger sample sizes, broader survey programmes, and quantitative analysis alongside qualitative methods.
We work alongside existing researchers — often extending capacity and adding capabilities they don't have in-house, like competitive intelligence, quantitative analysis, or specialist recruitment. We can also provide research leadership and strategic direction for junior internal researchers. We assess what's in place on the strategy call and design around it.
Yes — fully. We operate under strict NDAs, are ISO 27001 certified, and all participant data is handled in compliance with GDPR and relevant regional data protection regulations. Research data is never shared between clients. We can provide our data handling and security documentation on request.
Yes — this is a common use case. We provide primary market sizing studies, competitive positioning research, customer validation research, and user satisfaction data that holds up to investor scrutiny. Many clients engage us specifically to strengthen the research foundation of their fundraising narrative.
Stop Guessing. Start Knowing.
Book a free 30-minute research strategy call. We'll audit the decisions you're currently making without data, identify the three highest-leverage research projects for your stage, and show you exactly what a Skillfi retainer would look like for your business.