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Oluwapelumi Alfonso

Research

Research trained me to ask better product questions.

My background in public health and scientific research taught me to approach complex problems systematically: define the question, examine the evidence, identify patterns, challenge assumptions and understand both what the data can tell us and what it cannot.

I now bring that same approach to product discovery, strategy and decision making.

  1. Question
  2. Evidence
  3. Analysis
  4. Insight
  5. Decision

01

Quantitative Research

Using data to understand complex human behaviour

MSc Public Health & Community Wellbeing

Early Marriage & Reproductive Behaviour

For my postgraduate research, I analysed data from the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) to investigate factors associated with early marriage and reproductive behaviour among men.

Analytical flow

  1. Define question
  2. Prepare data
  3. Select variables
  4. Analyse
  5. Interpret
  6. Conclude
01

Secondary population data

02

Data cleaning & variable selection

03

Descriptive statistical analysis

04

Chi-square testing

05

Logistic regression

06

Interpreting statistical associations

What I took into product

Finding a pattern is only the beginning. The real question is what it means, what might explain it, and whether the evidence is strong enough to act on.

  • Product Analytics
  • Segmentation
  • Hypothesis Testing
  • Decisions Grounded in Evidence

02

Applied Public Health Research

From understanding a problem to deciding what to do about it

My public health work also involved Health Needs Assessments, where research had to move beyond describing a problem and towards identifying priorities and appropriate interventions.

United Kingdom

Teenage injuries involving knives

South West Nigeria

Prostate cancer among younger men

Ajegunle

Childhood malnutrition

Health Needs Assessment

  1. Population
  2. Evidence
  3. Need
  4. Contributing Factors
  5. Priority
  6. Intervention
  7. Measurement

Different context. Similar discipline.

Public Health

  1. Population
  2. Need
  3. Intervention
  4. Outcome

Product

  1. Users
  2. Problem
  3. Product Decision
  4. Outcome

Both require understanding the problem before jumping to a solution, deciding what matters most, and defining how you will know whether an intervention worked.

03

Scientific Research

Learning to test rather than assume

My research foundation began in Science Laboratory Technology and Biochemistry, where I developed experience in experimental research, laboratory investigation and scientific reporting. I contributed to peer-reviewed research examining Persea americana leaves, including their antioxidant properties, chemical composition and protective effects in experimental studies.

PUBLICATION 01

2022

Ameliorative Potential of Methanolic Extract of Persea americana Leaves on Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Hepatic and Renal Injury in Albino Rat

T. Ogunmoyole, O. Alfonso, A. Agboola & O. Jayeola · Journal of Medical Sciences · 2022

DOI 10.3923/jms.2022.178.188

View Publication

PUBLICATION 02

2022

In Vitro Antioxidant Properties and GC-MS Analysis of Solvent Extracts of Persea americana Leaf

T. Ogunmoyole, O. G. Alfonso, O. D. Johnson & A. A. Yusuff · Journal of Science Letters · Volume 3 · Pages 7–14 · 2022

What scientific research taught me

Test

Turn assumptions into questions that can be investigated.

Measure

Define what evidence is needed before drawing conclusions.

Interpret

Separate what the results show from what I expected them to show.

Communicate

Turn complex findings into information other people can understand and use.

04

Research in My Product Work

The methods changed. The mindset didn't.

GÍDA Legacy prototype onboarding screen

GÍDA Legacy

Research changed the product direction.

Early parent discovery showed that families were concerned about more than children learning vocabulary. The deeper problem was cultural connection. That insight helped move the proposition towards a broader digital cultural home.

Research → Insight → Product Strategy

View GÍDA Legacy case study

NAPSC

Market research shaped a focused entry vertical rather than a broad AI platform

ENACT AI

Market research shaped the product strategy.

Rather than assuming every organisation needs the same AI development path, discovery and market research informed which use cases, customers and entry industry the platform should focus on first.

Discovery → Use Case Fit → Product Strategy

View ENACT AI case study
  1. User friction
  2. Product decision
  3. Workflow

Remote Edge

Research shaped product tradeoffs.

Understanding repetitive applications and the challenges international candidates face with supposedly remote roles informed decisions around application assistance, location eligibility, privacy and keeping users in control.

User Friction → Product Decision → Workflow

View Remote Edge case study

05

How I Approach Product Questions

A practical research mindset

01

Discover

What problem are users actually experiencing?

I use research to understand behaviour, context and unmet needs before defining the solution.

02

Hypothesise

What do we believe, and what are we assuming?

I separate evidence from assumptions and identify what needs to be tested.

03

Analyse

What is the evidence telling us?

I combine quantitative and qualitative information to identify patterns and understand what may be driving them.

04

Measure

How will we know if the decision worked?

I think about success measures while defining the product, not only after something has been built.

06

Research & Analytical Toolkit

Software, methods and capabilities

Data & Analysis

  • SPSS v29
  • Microsoft Excel

Descriptive Statistics · Chi-square Testing · Logistic Regression · Data Cleaning · Data Interpretation

Research Methods

Research Design · Quantitative Research · Secondary Data Analysis · Literature Review · Evidence Synthesis · Critical Appraisal · Health Needs Assessment

Product Research

Customer Discovery · User Research · Survey Design · Problem Validation · Research Synthesis · Competitor Analysis · Hypothesis Development · Success Metrics

Microsoft 365

  • Excel
  • Word
  • PowerPoint
  • Teams
Excel Word PowerPoint Teams

Research didn't take me away from product. It shaped how I practise it.

Whether I'm analysing population data, speaking with customers or investigating why users behave a certain way, my approach starts in the same place: ask the right question, find the evidence, understand its limitations and use what I learn to make a better decision.

Explore My Product Work