Kronthal Advisory | UX Research & Product Strategy for AI Companies

The AI Product Challenge

Moving Too Fast?

AI capabilities evolve rapidly, but without user research, you risk building impressive technology that solves the wrong problems—or creates new ones users don't want.

Drowning in Competition?

The AI space is crowded. Technical features alone won't differentiate you. Understanding what users truly value and delivering exceptional experiences is how you win.

Unsure What to Build Next?

Limited resources mean every product decision matters. Data-driven insights help you prioritize ruthlessly and invest in features that drive real business outcomes.

How I Help AI Companies Win

Strategic Research

Uncover the insights that shape your product roadmap and go-to-market strategy

User segmentation and behavioral modeling
Concept testing and validation
Competitive differentiation research
Large-scale surveys and diary studies
Early-stage opportunity exploration

Product Experience Research

Optimize your AI product's usability, trust, and adoption

UX evaluation and usability testing
Trust and safety perception research
Onboarding and activation optimization
Feature design and validation
Accessibility and inclusive design

Team & Culture Building

Embed customer-centricity into your organization's DNA

Research operations setup and optimization
Team hiring and capability development
Cross-functional collaboration frameworks
Executive stakeholder engagement
Customer empathy programs for engineers

Why This Is Different

15+

Years Leading Research at Scale

Industry-Leading Tech Companies

250+

Cities Impacted Worldwide

200%

Budget Growth Through Impact

Battle-Tested Expertise You Can Trust

Established UX research practices from scratch at Gametime, Lime, and rebuilt at Yahoo! — I know how to start fast and scale smart
Partnered directly with CEOs and C-suite leaders at multiple companies to integrate customer insights into strategic planning
Led research that influenced hardware and software decisions across rider experiences, new mobility form factors, accessibility improvements, and business platforms
Created customer segmentation and behavioral models combining quantitative surveys with qualitative depth
Pioneered company-wide empathy programs achieving 85% engineer participation — because customer understanding can't live in one team
Built high-performing teams from the ground up with frameworks for prioritization, career development, and research operations
Delivered compelling insights that secured executive buy-in and budget increases even with extremely limited resources

Ready to Build Products People Love?

Let's discuss how strategic research can accelerate your product decisions and market differentiation.

Thanks for reaching out! I'll get back to you soon.

Michael Kronthal

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mkronthal

Build AI Products People Actually Want to Use