When we decided to redesign Swiggy Instamart's core experience, I had two weeks to complete foundational research before design kicked off. That meant 40 interviews, synthesis, and a full report. Here's how I did it without losing my mind.


The setup that makes fast research possible


Everything starts with a screener. I spend 2 hours writing a precise recruitment screener on Maze. Vague screeners = wrong participants = wasted interviews = bad insights. This is the most important 2 hours of any research project.

Batching interviews in threes

I run interviews in batches of 3, back-to-back-to-back, with a 30-minute buffer after each batch for notes. This sounds brutal, but it actually works — you spot patterns faster when conversations are fresh in your mind.

The note-taking system

I have a Notion template with three columns: Quote, Observation, and Question. During the interview, I only capture raw data in the Quote and Observation columns. Analysis happens later. This keeps me present in the conversation.

Synthesis sprints, not synthesis marathons

Instead of one massive synthesis session at the end, I do mini-syntheses after each batch of 3. By interview 15, I already know the core themes. The remaining 25 are confirming or challenging them.

Managing energy

Interviews are emotionally taxing. I block lunch and a 6 PM cutoff every day, no exceptions. I do a quick walk after every third interview. Fatigue produces worse insights than fewer, high-quality sessions.

The result? 40 interviews, synthesis, and a 40-page report in 12 days. Quality was higher than slower research I've done in 6 weeks.