You want to make sure you are building something customers will use and love, and you've determined you need research. So now what? You have a number of options. You could hire vendors, you could hire researchers, or you could do it yourself. There are benefits and risks to each of these, and it's important to understand the trade-offs you'll be making when you decide between them. Learn about the types of activities you can do yourself, what you really need an expert to help with, and where vendors can be helpful.