Applying Behavioral Science In An Organization
I often joke that if a contest for the most mysterious job title in my company existed, I would be the clear frontrunner. It seems as if every time I’m introduced to someone, I’m asked the same question: “So, exactly what do you do?”
This week marked my two year anniversary of working as a behavioral scientist in a product-driven tech company, and I still don’t have an exact answer to that question. But, having worked my way through the company, I’m now in a comfortable position to think about the question more clearly at least.
My biggest realization about this role is a double-edged sword: Behavioral science actually overlaps with many roles in product-led tech companies. That’s good because that means behavioral science is becoming increasingly relevant to everyone, irrespective of what role one is in. That’s also bad because the onus of proving the importance of a stand-alone behavioral science role is entirely on us.
Based on my experience, I’ve put together some thoughts on where product organization and behavioral science overlap, and what differentiation a behavioral scientist can bring to an organization as a whole.
References
- Cash, P., Gram Hartlev, C., & Durazo, C. B. (2017). Behavioural Design: A Process for Integrating Behaviour Change and Design. Design Studies, 48(January), 96–128.
- Dhar, V. (2013). Data science and prediction. Communications of the ACM, 56(12), 64-73.
- Guszcza, J. (2015). The last-mile problem: How data science and behavioral science can work together. Deloitte Review, 16, 65-79.
- https://www.drift.com/blog/what-is-product-marketing/
- Barden, P. P. (2013). Decoded: the science behind why we buy. John Wiley & Sons.
About the Author
Preeti Kotamarthi
Preeti Kotamarthi has built and led Behavioral Science teams at two of the largest tech companies in Southeast Asia and India. She established the Behavioral Science practice at Grab, helping product and design teams understand customer behavior to create better user experiences. Currently, she heads Behavioral Science and User Research at Swiggy, where she continues to blend data, design, and human insights—drawing inspiration from spending a lot of time with Indian consumers. With a Masters in Behavioral Science from the London School of Economics and an MBA in Marketing from FMS Delhi, Preeti brings over 12 years of experience in consumer products, from co-founding a rural startup in India to shaping behavioral design in tech. Her passion lies in making behavioral science a core part of the product development process. When she’s not uncovering human insights at work, she’s likely busy applying behavioral lessons on her two-year-old.
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