No showto asessionInterviewwithcustomergoes overtimeResearchis plannedbut notexecutedAt leastonedeadlineis missedParticipantbring wholeteam to theirsessionNot enoughparticipantssign upTechnicaldifficultieswithprototypeSomeoneinterruptsthesessionProductteam doesn'trespond tomessages"This isgreat" (butnothinggets done)Researchis cut tomeet adeadlineResearch ismentioned toan audience(but no actualresearcher'sname is said)Someonechanges theprototypebetweensessionsRequirementschange mid-projectJoins sessionby phone(you need toshare yourscreen!)The participantturns out to nothave relevantexperience tothe researchtopicProduct teammisunderstandswhat researchis / can do forthemSomeone tries tosign up byresponding to yourrec email insteadof using the signup form you sentCan't payanyonefor theirtimeTechnicaldifficultiessharingscreen"I knewthat, butglad to getit validated"No onereviewed thefindingsreport /presentationA participantshows upwithout a shirtor sayssomethingstrange"Well Icouldhave toldyou that"Prototypelink showshints"I think weshould doX instead"Researchweek getspostponedParticipantgets off-topic"Oh, weneverresearchedthat" (but wedid)No showto asessionInterviewwithcustomergoes overtimeResearchis plannedbut notexecutedAt leastonedeadlineis missedParticipantbring wholeteam to theirsessionNot enoughparticipantssign upTechnicaldifficultieswithprototypeSomeoneinterruptsthesessionProductteam doesn'trespond tomessages"This isgreat" (butnothinggets done)Researchis cut tomeet adeadlineResearch ismentioned toan audience(but no actualresearcher'sname is said)Someonechanges theprototypebetweensessionsRequirementschange mid-projectJoins sessionby phone(you need toshare yourscreen!)The participantturns out to nothave relevantexperience tothe researchtopicProduct teammisunderstandswhat researchis / can do forthemSomeone tries tosign up byresponding to yourrec email insteadof using the signup form you sentCan't payanyonefor theirtimeTechnicaldifficultiessharingscreen"I knewthat, butglad to getit validated"No onereviewed thefindingsreport /presentationA participantshows upwithout a shirtor sayssomethingstrange"Well Icouldhave toldyou that"Prototypelink showshints"I think weshould doX instead"Researchweek getspostponedParticipantgets off-topic"Oh, weneverresearchedthat" (but wedid)

If I had a dollar for every time my research went sideways, I’d be a millionaire by now... - Call List

(Print) Use this randomly generated list as your call list when playing the game. Place some kind of mark (like an X, a checkmark, a dot, tally mark, etc) on each cell as you announce it, to keep track. You can also cut out each item, place them in a bag and pull words from the bag.


1
N
2
B
3
I
4
O
5
N
6
B
7
I
8
B
9
O
10
N
11
I
12
N
13
I
14
B
15
G
16
B
17
G
18
G
19
I
20
O
21
I
22
B
23
N
24
G
25
O
26
O
27
G
28
G
29
O
  1. N-No show to a session
  2. B-Interview with customer goes over time
  3. I-Research is planned but not executed
  4. O-At least one deadline is missed
  5. N-Participant bring whole team to their session
  6. B-Not enough participants sign up
  7. I-Technical difficulties with prototype
  8. B-Someone interrupts the session
  9. O-Product team doesn't respond to messages
  10. N-"This is great" (but nothing gets done)
  11. I-Research is cut to meet a deadline
  12. N-Research is mentioned to an audience (but no actual researcher's name is said)
  13. I-Someone changes the prototype between sessions
  14. B-Requirements change mid-project
  15. G-Joins session by phone (you need to share your screen!)
  16. B-The participant turns out to not have relevant experience to the research topic
  17. G-Product team misunderstands what research is / can do for them
  18. G-Someone tries to sign up by responding to your rec email instead of using the sign up form you sent
  19. I-Can't pay anyone for their time
  20. O-Technical difficulties sharing screen
  21. I-"I knew that, but glad to get it validated"
  22. B-No one reviewed the findings report / presentation
  23. N-A participant shows up without a shirt or says something strange
  24. G-"Well I could have told you that"
  25. O-Prototype link shows hints
  26. O-"I think we should do X instead"
  27. G-Research week gets postponed
  28. G-Participant gets off-topic
  29. O-"Oh, we never researched that" (but we did)