Editor's note: If you’re an end-client researcher and interested in participating in a Q&A with Quirk’s, please e-mail me at emilyk@quirks.com. 

Could you describe your background and how you landed in research and insights? 

photo of Megan Lau, Research Director, Microsoft Research + Insights I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, but attended college at Western Washington University to obtain a BA in business administration with a focus on marketing. Ended up loving Washington so much that I wanted to stay here. I’ve been at Microsoft for the past seven years – the longest I have ever been with a company – and am now a director of consumer data science. I was honored to receive the AMA’s 4 Under 40 leadership award last year and have enjoyed speaking on a variety of panels and at conferences on Millennials in research, women in analytics, etc. I’m also passionate about travel and video games.

Does your passion for video games impact your role as a researcher in big tech? 

It most certainly does! My experiences with video games often makes me think about gamification both in tech and research and changes the way I approach certain problems. For example, I’ve done many deep dives into both mobile and social games trying to figure out how game economies work as well as how different dynamic offers are provided to players. This same concept can be applied to how we think about customer research in big tech or beyond. What offers will resonate and why? How do we increase our ecosystem and connectivity across products for the best possible customer experiences?

Could you share three pieces of advice for young people wanting to embark on a career in research? 

As a new researcher it’s so important to give yourself space and time to learn. The pace is often fast and it’s important to keep yourself grounded; I wish I had a time machine so I could tell myself:

  1. You won’t get things perfect and that’s OK, progress is better than perfection.
  2. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or speak up.
  3. The authentic you is special, use your superpowers.

What are some of your personal goals and aspirations for the next five or 10 years? 

My goal is to remain a manager in the marketing research space, and I hope to continue innovation in the space of connecting perceptions to behaviors. I would also love the opportunity to work outside the U.S., or at least travel more. I’m passionate about mentorship and teaching – both for others and for myself – and want to continue to build relationships both inside and outside of Microsoft.