Annie Cole Annie Cole

How Founders Can Use AI to Identify Market Gaps Before Building

The most expensive mistake a founder can make is building something the market doesn't actually need, or building for a need that's already well-served by existing solutions.

Market gap research has traditionally required either expensive research reports or weeks of manual analysis. AI hasn't eliminated that work, but it's made a serious gap analysis accessible to solo founders with limited time and budget.

Here's what we'll cover:

  • What a market gap actually is and the three types worth finding

  • How AI fits into gap identification (and where it doesn't)

  • A step-by-step process using tools you already have access to

  • The specific prompts that surface real gaps rather than obvious ones

  • How to validate that a gap is worth building for

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

How to Use AI to Analyze Survey Results and Find the Patterns That Matter

You ran the survey. Responses are in. Now you're staring at a spreadsheet of 200 rows wondering where to start.

Survey analysis has always been one of the most time-intensive parts of the research process — especially when you have open-ended responses. AI has changed this significantly. Pattern extraction that used to take days of manual coding can now happen in hours.

Here's what we'll cover:

  • The difference between quantitative and qualitative survey analysis — and where each bottleneck used to be

  • How AI accelerates open-ended response analysis specifically

  • The workflow from raw data to actionable insight

  • The prompts that produce real patterns rather than surface-level themes

  • How to validate AI analysis against your raw data

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

How to Use AI to Build a TAM/SAM Analysis Without a Research Firm

At some point — in an investor meeting, a strategic planning session, or your own go/no-go decision — someone is going to ask you how big the market is. And the answer needs to be defensible, not directional.

Market sizing has traditionally required access to expensive syndicated research reports or a research firm. AI has meaningfully changed that. Not by generating the numbers for you (that's where founders get into trouble) but by dramatically accelerating the data gathering and synthesis that makes the analysis possible.

Here's what we'll cover:

  • What TAM, SAM, and SOM actually mean and how to calculate each

  • The data sources that make the numbers credible

  • Where AI helps and where it will mislead you

  • A step-by-step workflow for building a defensible analysis

  • How to stress-test your numbers before you present them

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

AI-Assisted UX Research What Works What Doesn’t and How to Do It Right

AI tools have changed what's possible in UX research, but not always in the direction the hype suggests. Some tasks are genuinely faster and better with AI assistance. Others are worse, or produce confidently stated wrong answers. Knowing the difference is the professional skill that matters right now.

This guide reflects our practice at Praxia Insights. For a look at the full UX research service we offer, see our UX research services page.

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

How to Conduct a Stakeholder Analysis Before Your Next Research Project

A stakeholder analysis is how you identify who needs to be involved in, informed about, and engaged with your research before you design a single survey question. Organizations that skip this step often complete rigorous research that then sits in a report nobody reads. Discover the analysis that takes a few hours and can dramatically improve research impact.

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

How to Conduct a Nonprofit Needs Assessment Step-by-Step

A needs assessment is the research that proves your programs are addressing real, documented problems in your community. In 2026, when funders are scrutinizing every application more carefully than ever, the difference between an assumption-based proposal and an evidence-based one is often the difference between funded and not funded. Here’s why.

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

How to Write a Nonprofit Annual Report That Gets Read

Most nonprofit annual reports are written to prove that the organization exists and did things this year. They're 20-page PDFs that donors open, skim for their name in the donor list, and close. See why the annual reports that actually build donor relationships, strengthen funder confidence, and tell a compelling story are built differently.

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

How to Use AI for Nonprofit Grant Research (Without Losing Accuracy)

AI tools can meaningfully accelerate grant research, but they come with the risk of accuracy, providing “hallucinated” or dated information with the same confident tone it uses for accurate information. That’s why a critical professional skill in 2026 is knowing which AI tools to trust and when to verify facts.

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

How to Write a Research Brief Your Client Will Actually Read

A research brief is a purpose-built communication document designed for a specific decision-maker who needs to understand the key findings and recommendations without reading 40 pages of methodology. Most research briefs fail because they're written by researchers, for researchers, in a format that works for neither. Find out how to craft an effective research brief.

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

How to Write a Theory of Change for Your Nonprofit

A theory of change is the research infrastructure behind a program design. Organizations that can articulate this clearly are better positioned for grant success, program effectiveness, and honest self-evaluation than those that can't. Here’s why and how to write a theory of change for your non-profit.

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

How to Use AI in Your Research Workflow (Without Losing Rigor)

AI tools have genuinely changed what's possible in qualitative and quantitative research workflows. The risk isn't that AI makes research easier. It's that it makes shortcuts easier too, and that the people using it aren't always clear on which is which. This guide reflects our practice at Praxia Insights.

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

How to Test Your Prototype Before Going to Market

A prototype test is the single highest-return research investment you can make before going to market. The question is how to design the test so it answers the questions that actually determine launch success. Here’s your guide to prototype testing.

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

How to Build a Donor Impact Report That Actually Retains Donors

Most donor impact reports are written for the organization, not the donor. They describe programs in detail that donors didn't ask for, list statistics that don't connect to human outcomes, and thank major donors in a way that makes everyone else feel like a transaction. Find out how donor impact reports can retain donors by telling a different story.

Read More
Annie Cole Annie Cole

How to Validate a Business Idea With Market Research

Businesses commonly fail because they launch a product or service nobody wants badly enough to pay for. Market research validation is the process of testing your core assumptions about your idea before you build it. Discover why it's the single highest-return investment most founders never make.

Read More