In this episode we talk to Ripul Kumar, Head of UX at Tally and Ex-founder of a design research firm, Kern. Ripul talks about how he discovered User Research to be his forte and what led to him opening his own research firm. We discuss how research techniques must be creatively adapted to the cultural context to get meaningful insights. Ripul gives us some ideas on what to do when there is not enough budget or priority given for research in a corporate setting, and how to bring in a culture of research in different ways. We ponder about 'best practices' in the research process and when to use them. Ripul shares his experience watching and being part of the changing design scene in India over the last couple of decades. We talk about Design Leadership and what it takes to lead design in our contexts. Ripul talks about his learnings in the journey from Research Consultant to Head of UX and also a course in Management at MIT Sloan.