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    Steve Portigal

    Steve Portigal is a respected voice on qualitative user research and interviewing, influencing discovery practices beyond product management.

    #10 User Research
    30CiteRank

    Last updated 11 Nov 2026 · Named in 36 answers across 5 engines
    Bing AI Mode starts a separate baseline. Copilot remains a separate public engine and keeps its history; changes across the switch are not like-for-like growth.

    How AI engines see them

    Recognized by 5 of 5 measured engines. Updated 2026-10-26

    All five engines recognize Steve Portigal as the principal of Portigal Consulting and the author of Interviewing Users, with a focus on user interviews and mature research practices. Copilot, Gemini and Google AI Mode also name Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries, and the Dollars to Donuts podcast. Gemini adds his ethnographic approach to research. Perplexity gives the 2013 first edition and the 2023 second edition. The most cited domains are portigal.com, linkedin.com and podcasts.apple.com, with portigal.com cited by ChatGPT, Copilot and Perplexity.

    • ChatGPTNamed in 9 answers

      ChatGPT describes Portigal as founder of Portigal Consulting, known for UX research and for the book Interviewing Users, a practical guide to conducting effective user interviews.

      Known for
      • Interviewing Users book
      • turning research into design insights
      • user interview craft
    • GeminiNamed in 7 answers

      Gemini says Portigal is principal of Portigal Consulting, wrote Interviewing Users, champions ethnographic research and hosts the Dollars to Donuts podcast.

      Known for
      • ethnographic research in design
      • Interviewing Users
      • empathetic interviewing
    • Google AI ModeNamed in 7 answers

      Google AI Mode describes Portigal as a user research consultant and author whose fieldwork spans rock musicians, surgeons and traders, and who hosts Dollars to Donuts.

      Known for
      • diverse fieldwork experience
      • Interviewing Users
      • advocacy for research impact
    • PerplexityNamed in 8 answers

      Perplexity says Portigal is a UX researcher, consultant and author with over 25 years of experience, best known for Interviewing Users and for helping teams build mature research practices.

      Known for
      • qualitative user interviews
      • mature research practices
      • Interviewing Users
    • Bing AI ModeNot named

      No description yet.

    • CopilotNamed in 5 answers

      Copilot says Portigal founded Portigal Consulting, wrote Interviewing Users and Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries, and hosts the Dollars to Donuts podcast.

      Known for
      • Interviewing Users
      • user research war stories
      • building research maturity

    Top Segments

    • #10User Researchof 29
      Named in 58 answers

    Top URLs

    1. 1
      Top UX research voices worth following in 2026 | Lyssna
      lyssna.com26 citations
    2. 2
      UX research leaders to follow
      userinterviews.com10 citations
    3. 3
      UX Designers and Leaders to Follow (and Why) - UX Academy
      myuxacademy.com8 citations

    Prompts where Steve is named

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    • Who are the most influential voices in User research & research ops?

      Named by 5 engines

    Track Steve

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