Outset Enhances User Surveys with GPT-4 Technology for Superior Insights

Securing answers to challenging qualitative questions about products can be both time-consuming and expensive. Aaron Cannon, a former strategist at Deloitte, experienced this firsthand while leading research projects for clients. His team often dedicated hundreds of hours to projects, only to spend additional time and resources scheduling and moderating interviews with the client’s customers.

"Enterprise decision-makers increasingly expect quicker results from insights teams," Cannon shared in an email interview. "Researchers are feeling this pressure daily, especially after the significant layoffs of 2022. The main threat to our industry today is that the rush for faster decision-making hampers the insights function's ability to keep up. This is why researchers need effective tools to streamline and enhance their work."

To address this challenge, Cannon partnered with Michael Hess, whom he met at Untapped, a talent recruiting startup, to establish Outset. This Y Combinator-backed company autonomously conducts and synthesizes research interviews.

"The downturn and the associated layoffs have severely impacted research and insights teams. However, the demand from business leaders for informed, strategic decisions has not diminished, increasing the pressure to achieve more with fewer resources," Cannon explained. "This presents a valuable opportunity for Outset as organizations seek technology to elevate their research efforts."

Outset utilizes GPT-4, OpenAI's advanced text-generating AI model, to conduct interviews during research studies. Here's how it works: Outset users create surveys and distribute the link to potential participants. Then, powered by GPT-4, Outset engages with respondents to clarify and probe their answers, fostering a "conversational rapport" to elicit deeper insights.

For each query, GPT-4 identifies themes, compiles counts, and highlights quotes, aiming to "uncover the story," as Cannon puts it.

"Currently, much of the qualitative data collection and analysis is performed manually. In that regard, we’re directly competing with the long nights I spent reading transcripts and organizing interviews as a consultant," Cannon noted. “We believe Outset will expand the market for research, making user insights faster and more accessible for diverse teams across organizations."

While it’s still early for Outset, it has already made headway with notable clients, including WeightWatchers. According to Cannon, WeightWatchers successfully conducted and synthesized over 100 interviews in just 24 hours, using the outcomes to propose a new user segmentation framework.

"We are actively collaborating with 15 enterprise insights teams at various companies, such as Opendoor and other large consumer-oriented firms, empowering them to make quicker, smarter, user-focused decisions than ever," Cannon said.

Outset recently secured $3.8 million in a funding round led by Adverb Ventures, with participation from Weekend Fund and Jack Altman, brother of Sam Altman. With plans to expand from four to six full-time employees by year-end, Cannon stated:

"We’ve just completed our seed round, and while our team is small, we’re keeping operating costs low. Despite the broader economic challenges, there’s a growing demand for AI-driven tools in everyday knowledge work, giving us an advantageous boost. With our recent funding, frugal expenditure, and positive market trends, we’re well-positioned to navigate whatever challenges may arise."