🧠 Welcome, Nexus minds – here’s your first pulse check!
You’re now plugged into Talent Pools Nexus – the weekly signal for sharp minds shaping the future of ResTech, Insights, Strategy, and AI.
Each issue delivers a curated download designed to keep you ahead of the curve:
➤ What’s moving in the world of insight
➤ How AI is actually being used (beyond the hype)
➤ Tools that’ll save you hours
➤ Who’s hiring, who’s shifting, and who’s catching our eye
➤ And a straight-talking take from me 😉
Let’s get into it.
Today’s Insights
- This Week in Research: UK data quality is under the spotlight with a new MRS-led campaign. Meanwhile, economic uncertainty hits ad spend forecasts and hiring confidence – though high-tech remains resilient.
- US Market Watch: Consumer confidence hits a 13-year low – but April’s surprise job gains offer a silver lining. Trade tensions and inflation worries continue to shape sentiment.
- AI in Action: GPT-4 is officially retired – a reminder of how fast AI evolves. Tools like Claude are reshaping productivity, and global AI hiring is booming.
- Startup Spotlight: Listen Labs secures $27M to transform research interviews with AI. A big step for agile, voice-led insight tools – and they’re hiring (with $10K referral bonuses!).
- Movers and Shakers: Big leadership changes at Trinity McQueen, Verian, and Appcues. Plus, Caplena takes the stage at Quirks London with Kia Europe – don’t miss it on 7 May.
This Week in Research
UK 🇬🇧
➤ Campaign for Better Data Launched: The MRS and top research firms have launched a campaign to improve data quality and trust in research, addressing issues like AI, synthetic data, and survey fraud.
➤ UK Advertising Spend Forecast Downgraded: 2025 ad spend is now expected to grow 6.3% to £45.2bn – a slight downgrade due to trade tariffs and economic uncertainty.
➤ Economic and Labour Market Pressures: Business confidence is falling, with fewer permanent hires and rising redundancies. High-tech sectors remain more stable.
US 🇺🇸
➤ Consumer Confidence at 13-Year Low: Consumer sentiment dropped sharply in April, driven by fears around inflation, tariffs, and recession risks. BUT … here is the good news (hot off the press from FT) – the US added 177,000 jobs in April, beating expectations and defying worries about the early impact of Donald Trump’s policies on the world’s largest economy. Go, figure!
➤ 2025 Customer Value Report Released A new study highlights what matters most to US consumers across 18 industries – cost, quality, safety, and convenience top the list.
➤ Trade Tensions Impacting Market Sentiment US-China disputes are weighing on markets. AI-driven firms are thriving, while those reliant on global supply chains face headwinds.
AI in Action
➤ AI adoption is booming: 97 million people now work in the AI sector globally, and 48% of businesses use AI to harness big data. Netflix alone generates $1 billion a year from AI-powered recommendations!
➤ Farewell, GPT-4: The Model That Moved the World 🌍
- This week, OpenAI quietly retired GPT-4 – just two years after its debut on 14 March 2023. It may not sound long, but in that short span, GPT-4 reshaped the tech landscape, gave rise to a wave of AI startups, and accelerated innovation across industries.
- For context: many tools don’t even make it out of beta in that time. GPT-4 not only made it – it set the pace.
- Its DNA lives on in GPT-4o and the growing ecosystem of advanced research models. And yes, GPT-5 may be on the horizon. But it’s worth pausing to acknowledge how fast we adapt to breakthroughs. Last spring, GPT-4 felt like a glimpse of the future. Today, it’s already part of history.
Startup Spotlight
Listen Labs:The AI Research Startup That Just Landed $27M!
A new player in the AI-powered research space, Listen Labs has burst onto the scene with a $27 million Series A round led by former Qualtrics backer @Bryan Schreier of Sequoia Capital, alongside Conviction and Pear VC.
The Backstory: Founded in San Francisco by Harvard alumni Florian Juengermann and Alfred Wahlforss, who previously launched the image-gen app BeFake.
Key Innovation: Listen Labs enables users to build research questions, recruit participants, and conduct audio and video interviews – with large language models then transforming that data into reports, highlight reels, and PowerPoint decks.
Team Size: 10 (and likely growing) -> They are currently hiring in San Francisco (check their website and offering $10,000 for a referral that leads to a hire). It surely beats the usual £250 referral bonus we’re so used to on this side of the pond 💰💰!!
AI Tools to Supercharge Your Productivity
How I Use Claude to Prep for Meetings (Without Breaking a Sweat 😅)
If you’re anything like me, meetings can pile up – and let’s be honest, it’s not always easy to feel fully prepared for every single one. I’ve been testing out Claude to help with this, and it’s surprisingly useful.
Here’s how I use it to get meeting-ready in minutes:
➤ First things first: Head over to Claude and log in.
➤ Sync your Gmail and Calendar: Click on “Connect with Apps” and link your Gmail and Google Calendar. Once that’s done, Claude can see your upcoming meetings (just the basics – no diary drama) and help you prep fast.
Now the fun part – here are a few prompts I use to get the most out of it:
Want a quick overview of your day? 🗣 “Check my calendar for [insert day], summarise my meeting invites, and explain what they’re about in simple terms. What do I need to know before joining?”
Perfect for cutting through the jargon and reminding yourself why you agreed to that 4:30pm call.
Curious who’s who on the invite list? 🗣 “Check my calendar for [insert day], list the names in this invite. What roles do they play and what might they care about during the meeting?”
Super handy when you’re meeting new people or stepping into a pitch.
Need to sound sharp and on it? 🗣 “Based on this meeting topic and agenda, what are 3 smart questions I can ask to sound informed?”
No more scrambling five minutes before with a blank notebook.
Want to follow up like a pro? 🗣 “Based on the last meeting notes [paste them in], what should I prepare for this one? Draft an email summary I can send after this meeting with action items and next steps.”
It’s like having a virtual chief of staff – minus the salary.
And if you’re forgetful like me, you can even ask Claude to remind you of key points or suggest follow-up questions. Honestly, it’s helped me walk into meetings calmer and more confident.
Give it a try at claude.ai. It’s free to use (for now, anyway!).
🔥 NEXT WEEK: ‘My Top 10 AI Tools to Supercharge Your Productivity’. Get ready to meet the tools that changed my workflow (and sanity). You’ll thank me later 😉
Movers and Shakers
- Trinity McQueen has named Danielle Hume as its new managing director, taking over from co-founders Anna Cliffe and Robin Horsfield.
- Verian’s CEO – Michelle Harrison is transitioning to become President of the newly launched Institute for Public Impact, a nonprofit initiative by Verian to drive better outcomes in public services.
- Verian’s COO, Phillipa Edward, will assume the role of CEO.
- Meanwhile, Caroline Frankum will chair Verian’s board, bringing deep insights and experience from her tenure as Global CEO of Kantar Profiles.
- Jed Lam now leads Jarrard’s new market research and insights unit.
- Rose Tomlins was appointed managing partner and board member at MTM.
- Ryan Barry became CEO of Appcues.
- Sally Osman LVO is now non-executive chair at Echo Research.
- Carrie Parker was named chief marketing officer at Medallia.
- Ariella Evenzahav, PhD is now head of innovation at Integro.
- Andrew Johnson (Thinks Insight & Strategy) was appointed UK national representative at the World Association of Public Opinion Research for 2025-2026.
- Simon Tanasescu became VP, sales at iMAD Research.
- Katie O’Connor was appointed SVP, key accounts at Behaviorally.
- Jennifer Axen was named managing director, Incite US at STRAT7 Incite.
- Perspective Research Services promoted Ijeoma O. to commercial director.
- Magnus Wahlstrom became VP, client solutions at Bovitz.
Upcoming Events
Dates: May 7–8, 2025
Location: London, UK
The Quirks Event, London
Focus: Two-day gathering for client-side researchers and vendors. Features tracks on all aspects of market research, emerging methodologies, and a lively expo hall. It’s sold out, folks – so you know it’s going to be as good as ever!
I’ve been kindly invited to the event by the wonderful Caplena (thank you so much! ❤️).
So… Who Are Caplena and What Do They Actually Do?
Caplena’s a Swiss tech company making it easy to turn open-ended feedback into clear, actionable insights – in 100+ languages. Trusted by brands like DHL and Euromonitor, they’ve just raised €3M to take things to the next level. I really look forward to catching up with the team!
Where to Find Them at Quirks
Catch Caplena’s Maurice Gonzenbach with Kia Europe’s Julia Szmaj as they share how smart feedback analysis helped transform Kia’s CX strategy.
📌 Hall 2
📌 Tuesday 7 May, 3:15 PM
Joanna’s Take
… on scaling up …
How important is HIRING when scaling up? 🤔👀
I’ve been listening to Alex Hormozi podcast The Game recently, and one takeaway really stood out: scaling a business isn’t just about selling more – it’s about BUILDING THE RIGHT TEAM.
A few key insights from the podcast that resonated with me:
1. Your business grows as fast as your team learns. Intelligence = the speed of learning. The faster your team adapts, the faster you scale.
2. Solve bottlenecks with talent. Growth highlights where your expertise runs thin. Hire EXPERIENCED people in those gaps – whether it’s sales, operations, or finance.
3. Delegate and empower. Scaling means letting go. HIRING STRONG LEADERS frees you from being the bottleneck yourself.
4. Incentivise ownership. Profit shares, performance bonuses – aligning interests turns employees into true partners.
5. Be strategic with EARLY HIRES. Start by buying back your time: admin and customer service first, then sales, marketing, and finance.
Bottom line: Hiring isn’t just an operational task – it’s THE ENGINE OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH.
As Hormozi says, your business can only grow as quickly as your people do! 👥🚀
📈 Well worth a listen if you’re thinking about growth this year: The Game by Alex Hormozi (I am a HUGE fan! 🤩)
Thanks for reading.
Until next time!
Joanna & the ‘Nexus Intelligence Crew’ 🧡🧠
