166 - Nikki Quast of Microsoft on AI’s Future in Market Research

Karen Lynch sits down with Nikki Quast, Senior Market Research Manager at Microsoft and the creator behind “Data Driven Nikki,” to explore how research, content creation, and AI are reshaping the insights profession. Nikki shares career milestones from launching products at Kraft Heinz to simplifying insurance at American Family, and how those experiences fueled her passion for innovation and mentorship.

They unpack why she chose TikTok as a learning platform, what her audience is asking most, and how she distills complex research concepts into 30 seconds. Nikki also outlines practical ways AI is showing up in research workflows, from early prioritization and AI-moderated interviews to building stronger stimuli. The big takeaway: the future of insights is deeply human, with AI amplifying, not replacing, our craft.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Nikki’s career milestones: from product launches to translating complex categories into human needs
2. Why she started “Data Driven Nikki” and what the talent gap means for the industry
3. Content strategy: four pillars (methods, strategy, careers, storytelling) and the 30-second clarity rule
4. Where AI fits in research today: prioritization, AI-moderated qual, and stimulus creation
5. Skills advice for breaking into insights now: focus on applying AI, not mastering one tool, and connect business objectives to methods

Resources & Links:

1. Greenbook GRIT Report
2. Nikki on YouTube: Data Driven Nikki
3. Nikki on TikTok: @DataDrivenNikki

You can reach out to Nikki Quast on LinkedIn.

Many thanks to Nikki Quast for being our guest. Thanks also to our production team and our editor at Big Bad Audio.