Synthetic Users and the Future of Research with Hugo Alves

In this episode of the Business Simplicity Podcast, Chris Parker speaks with Hugo Alves, Chief Product Officer of Synthetic Users. They explore how synthetic personas - AI-generated individuals - are transforming how companies validate ideas, test assumptions, and build empathy into business decisions. Hugo explains how the platform works and shares his own fascinating journey from psychology researcher to tech product leader.With roots in clinical psychology and academic research, Hugo brings a human-centered rigor to synthetic intelligence. Synthetic Users lets organizations simulate conversations with persona-based audiences to gain insights faster, safer, and at scale. From large enterprises to lean startups, it allows teams to test ideas in minutes rather than weeks and surface meaningful insights that guide strategy, marketing, and product design.Listeners will learn how Gen AI can move beyond generic chatbot responses to create domain-specific, challenging conversations. Chris shares his hands-on experience using the platform to test value propositions, revealing surprising and sometimes confronting feedback. Together, they uncover how this tool can foster empathy, expose blind spots, and sharpen positioning.Learn more: https://ebullient.com/podcast/synthetic-users/