Say Hello to Audrey Zamuda, Senior Researcher

What do you do?

I’m a Senior Researcher, specializing in Market and Customer Insights. I help Instacart understand who its customers are, why they use Instacart, and how Instacart is differentiated from its competitors. I’m also helping Instacart understand Shopper sentiment, including Instacart Fulfillment’s strengths and opportunities.

How did you get into research?

I started my career at a research agency, then I moved to the private sector to conduct marketing and brand research in CPG (Clorox). My focus then shifted to doing more early-stage innovation and product research for educational toys (LeapFrog), retail (Target), and software (Intuit Quickbooks), then for customer experiences in tech (Facebook). This breadth of experience has allowed me to master both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies through the product development cycle, solving for delightful user experiences and business growth.

What makes everything worth it?

I feel that product success can only happen with an intimate understanding of, and empathy for, our customers. Being a researcher puts me into direct contact with our customers and prospects. It’s extremely gratifying to know that I’m helping bridge that gap in understanding and giving our organization the knowledge it needs to make customer-centric decisions.

What’s the greatest piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

“Go with your gut. Take risks.” I believe that we all have good intuition and business sense. But we don’t always listen to the “whispers” or read the writing on the wall. We may go the easy way, but this might not be the best way in the long run. Don’t second guess yourself. Be confident. Take risks and challenge yourself. This is how we learn and grow.

What advice would you give to a designer just starting out?

Be curious. Listen a lot. Understand the motivations and biases of your stakeholders. Get to know your customers intimately, and design with their needs in mind. Surround yourself with mentors, both within your org and outside.

Where do you find inspiration?

I get a lot of great inspiration through personal and business posts in Medium. I always try to participate in relevant business groups and organizations (e.g., Women in Research), and to go to relevant research conferences. You cannot underestimate the value of learning from your peers!

Where did you grow up and what made it special?

I grew up in San Francisco proper, in the Excelsior district. I’ve always loved getting to know the city — the wonderful nooks and crannies of neighborhoods, and to witness the diversity first hand.

What is something you’re most proud of in your life/career?

From a career perspective, I intended to take some time off for a lifestyle change, but I was immediately approached about doing contract work by my former boss. This prompted me to start a qualitative research consultancy that lasted 6 years. It was challenging, but extremely gratifying to start and manage my own business.

What favorite SF secret spot can you reveal?

I grew up in a San Francisco neighborhood called Westwood Highlands, nestled on the south side of Mount Davidson somewhere between Twin Peaks and the 280. Mount Davidson is probably overlooked as a landmark, but it’s the highest point in San Francisco and a short walk with a large concrete cross at the top. Growing up, this served to be a playground for me. If you haven’t visited it yet, you should check it out! Find out more here and here.

Come build with Audrey.

If you’re excited about defining the future of a one trillion dollar industry, building an ad-serving network for groceries, scaling the world’s most extensive grocery catalog, perfecting a real-time on-demand logistics chain, all while simultaneously designing the future of food for millions of people, you should take a look at the available opportunities or reach out to someone from the team.

Instacart

Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.