Natasha Gorobinskaya🇪🇸

About Natasha Gorobinskaya

Director of UX Research at Blueberry Research Group

My curiosity about people started long before I became a researcher. How they think, decide, and figure out what they want has pulled me in for as long as I can remember.

That curiosity shaped a career across HCI research and multicultural teams. I have built and led research teams at Google, TheFork, and Miro, partnering with product and business leaders on decisions that matter.

I got hooked on the gap between knowing something and acting on it. Research generates knowledge, but knowledge alone does not make better decisions. That led me to develop OPTICS, a customer discovery and validation method, write a book on moving founders from assumptions to evidence, and start Blueberry Research Group.

Today I am interested in customer understanding, product strategy, and what AI is doing to how we decide.

I mentor researchers, product people, and founders navigating uncertainty, sharpening their craft, or growing into thoughtful leaders. Much of my own luck came from people who shared their time.

I can help with:

UX research careers and breaking into the field Research leadership, building and scaling teams Research practice, from customer discovery to AI-assisted methods Product strategy and product-market fit Idea validation and early-stage startup research

Expertise

Sessions with Natasha Gorobinskaya

• General Mentorship Session (30 min)
• Turn Ideas into businesses (45 min): This mentorship series is designed for founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, and product builders who want to create new products grounded in genuine customer knowledge. Together, we will explore how to understand users’ behaviours, needs, and motivations; distinguish promising signals from assumptions; define the value a product should deliver; and evaluate product–market fit before committing significant time and resources. Participants can bring their own ideas and challenges to develop a clearer, evidence-based path from customer insight to a product people truly value.
• Founder Coaching for Confident Product Decisions (45 min): This coaching series helps founders make confident product and strategic decisions in the face of uncertainty. Through focused, practical sessions, we will examine your current challenges, test the assumptions behind key decisions, interpret customer and market signals, and clarify priorities and trade-offs. Among other tools, the coaching draws on the proprietary Optics Method—designed specifically for navigating product uncertainty—and the Experience Value Framework to connect customer experience with the value your product creates. Whether you are shaping a new product, reconsidering your direction, or preparing to grow, the goal is to help you move forward with greater clarity, stronger reasoning, and a strategy grounded in what customers genuinely value.
• Founder Coaching to Validate Problem–Solution Fit (454 min): This three-session coaching series helps founders determine whether they are solving the right problem and whether their proposed solution responds to something customers genuinely value. Together, we will clarify the problem and target customer, identify the assumptions behind your product idea, and design focused customer research to understand how the problem is experienced and evaluate possible solutions. Founders can bring an idea, early-stage product, or potential pivot and leave with stronger evidence, clearer direction, and practical next steps toward problem–solution fit.
• Strategic Thinking Partner for Founders (45 min): Founders often carry many decisions at once, yet it can be difficult to find someone who understands the context and can offer an informed outside perspective. This brief coaching session gives you a supportive space to share your progress, talk through what is on your mind, and untangle ideas or challenges with an experienced thinking partner. You do not need a polished question or a formal agenda—just bring whatever you are currently navigating. I will listen, ask useful questions, and offer practical guidance grounded in more than 20 years of experience across customer research, product, strategy, and innovation.

What mentees say

“The session was really helpful. The mentor gave me clarity on the process, pointed out the areas I need to improve, and guided me on how to move forward and succeed. I really appreciate the practical advice and feedback. Thank you for the valuable guidance.”

“Natascha got a very good understanding of my situation and was able to provide very good advice”

“She is incredible, so sweet and seems to be really patient with the beginners! :)”