The Hidden Cost of "Free" ResearchAsk a Product Manager how much a user interview costs, and they might say: "It's free. I do it myself."This is mathematically false. In fact, "DIY Research" is the most expensive kind of research you can do.The Math: Human vs. AI ModerationLet's break down the fully loaded cost of a standard 10-Participant Study.Option A: The Human Way (PM or Researcher)Recruiting & Scheduling: 5 hours ($100/hr labor) = $500Conducting Interviews: 10 hours ($100/hr labor) = $1,000Synthesis & Rewatching: 10 hours ($100/hr labor) = $1,000

• Incentives: 10 x $50 = $500

Total Cost: $3,000

Time to Insight: 2 Weeks

Cost Per Insight: Expensive.Option B: The Userology WayRecruiting (Automated): Included in platform.Conducting Interviews: handled by AI Agent (Parallel processing).Synthesis: Instant AI Report.Platform Cost: ~$500 (estimated for 10 sessions).

• Incentives: 10 x $50 = $500

Total Cost: $1,000 Time to Insight: 24 Hours Savings: $2,000 per study (66% reduction).

The "Opportunity Cost" Multiplier

The direct savings are nice, but the Opportunity Cost is where the real money is.

Every hour your Product Manager spends scheduling Calendly links or transcribing Zoom calls is an hour they aren't spending on strategy, roadmapping, or execution. .

By switching to Userology, you effectively give your PMs 20 hours back per month. That is equivalent to hiring an extra half-employee for free.

Scaling: The "Zero-Marginal Cost" of Curiosity

With human research, every extra question costs money. "We can't ask about the new feature, we only have time for the checkout flow."

With AI moderation, the marginal cost of asking more questions is near zero. You can add 5 more participants or 10 more questions for pennies. This allows you to increase your "Surface Area of Luck"—the chance that you stumble upon a game-changing insight simply because you could afford to keep asking.

The CFO Pitch

If you need to convince your CFO to buy Userology, don't talk about "empathy" or "feelings." Talk about Efficiency Ratios.

"We can reduce our cost-per-interview from $300 to $50, while shortening our decision cycles from 14 days to 2 days. This tool pays for itself after the second study."

That is how you win the budget in 2026.