I've been thinking about something lately: Why do so many User Researchers feel like they're constantly having to justify their existence?

Having worked in organisations where UX Research was truly valued and in places where it was questioned at every turn, I've developed some perspective on why we so often find ourselves in the hot seat, defending our role.

It's not ideal. But it is our reality.

Here are my five observations:

If our work looks easy, we've done it well. But that's also our Achilles heel. Stakeholders see us chatting with users and think, "I could do that." They don't see the methodology, the synthesis, the pattern recognition, or the years of practice that turn conversations into actionable insights.

When your research stops a bad idea from moving forward, you've saved the company thousands. I daresay even millions. But that money was never spent, so it doesn't show up in anyone's profit and loss. You've reduced risk, prevented waste, and avoided building the wrong thing. Try putting that in a spreadsheet.

Service Designers research. Business Analysts research. Product Managers research. So stakeholders unfamiliar with human-centered design may genuinely struggle to understand what makes UX Research different or necessary. From their vantage point, we seem redundant.

Software shipped just fine 25 years ago without us. In fact, the term "User Experience" wasn't even mainstream back then (check out this perspective if you're curious). For many organisations, the old way—outputs over outcomes—still feels comfortable.

Just because a company posted a UXR job doesn't mean they understand what we do. Sometimes we're hired because it sounded like a good idea. Or because competitors were hiring researchers. The "why" behind the role? Not always crystal clear.

So here's my question for you: Is UX Research genuinely valued where you work right now? Or do any of these points hit uncomfortably close to home?

Hit reply and let me know. I'd love to hear your experience.

Tomi