Synthetic data is often pitched as a shortcut around slow, expensive market research. In this episode, we break down when that promise holds, and when it falls apart.

This week, we welcome our guest Lee Henshaw, founder and AI marketing guru, to share how he actually uses synthetic respondents in real business decisions. From testing pricing and sales messaging to simulating focus groups of UK media buyers and retail CMOs, Lee walks through what works, what doesn’t, and where founders can get into trouble if they over-trust the output.

This episode introduces a practical, risk-based approach: use synthetics for speed and direction, validate with real people when the stakes are high, and design research around decisions, not curiosity. If you want better customer insight without a six-figure research budget, this episode shows what’s realistically possible right now.

Listen to our previous episode for the basics on synthetic data - https://shows.acast.com/early-adoptr/episodes/synthetic-data-without-the-hype-practical-uses-and-real-risk

Make sure to check out Lee's course on Maven:

Market Research on a Startup Budget : When to Trust Synthetic Data