Daniel Gottlieb is the Head of Research Operations for Microsoft’s CoreAI, where he builds scalable infrastructure for complex UX workflows. Leveraging a PhD background in animal behaviour from UC Davis and scientific research logistics, he focuses on optimising qualitative data management and integrating AI tools into UX research practices. He’s a prominent voice in the field and was featured in the ResearchOps 2.0 documentary series, which explores the past, present, and future of research operations.
How to AI UXR is supported by Strella, an AI-powered customer research platform that partners with you to build, moderate, and synthesise interviews, allowing you to go from question to actionable insights in just a few hours.
In This Conversation
In this conversation, Daniel Gottlieb shares how he moved from feeling behind on AI-enabled coding to building invaluable tools for research operations. What began as a series of personal learning projects—messing around, even—became a set of working research systems: a lab booking app, an interactive budget presentation that will blow your mind, and an AI-powered research library for Microsoft CoreAI.
The How to AI UXR Map
This series builds on the insights shared in the How to AI UXR map, a five-page map that charts key trends, helps you pinpoint your AI maturity level, and offers practical, real-world applications you can adapt to your research systems.
We cover:
How Daniel went from “I’m not a coder” to building invaluable ResearchOps tools
Why a homemade video game starring his dog, Tootsie, became a low-stakes way to learn professional AI-building skills
How he vibe-coded a lab booking app for Microsoft CoreAI, complete with an arcade Easter egg
Why ResearchOps teams may not always need to wait for engineering bandwidth or a third-party tool to fix everyday workflow problems
How Daniel turned a budget conversation into an interactive story about researchers, customers, recruiting spend, and business impact
What happened when he helped his father transform 24,000 astronomy observations into a searchable deep-sky website
How that personal project became the foundation for an AI-powered research library at work
Why the library is designed to surface evidence, caveats, and gaps—not false confidence
What AI means for the future of ResearchOps: more making, more maintenance, and a very different kind of job
Partway through the episode, Priya Krishnan, the cofounder and COO of Strella, shares her take on the conversation.
Connect with the Guests
Daniel Gottlieb, Head of Research Operations for Microsoft’s CoreAI
Priya Krishnan, cofounder and COO of Strella
Things Referenced
How to AI UXR is supported by Strella, an AI-powered customer research platform that partners with you to build, moderate, and synthesise interviews, allowing you to go from question to actionable insights in just a few hours.
