Backbone: Surviving the Road Less Quantified - Toward a Deeper Understanding of Qualitative Research

The Road to Deeper Understanding

Embark on an eye-opening exploration of qualitative market research in David M. Schneer’s Backbone. His compelling narrative interweaves a personal journey overcoming physical adversity with professional insights, unveiling the seven key traits of successful qualitative researchers:

• curiosity (a compelling desire to learn)
• preparedness (rigorous study)
• extroversion (being a people person)
• synthesizing complexity (the ability to grasp sophisticated concepts)
• listening with your eyes (observing non-verbal communication)
• grit (resilience and grace under pressure)
• venturousness (willingness to explore and take risks)

This groundbreaking book demonstrates why qualitative methods are indispensable for gaining a holistic understanding of customer behavior, complementing quantitative data with rich, nuanced insights. Schneer’s pioneering integration of body language and AI tools with traditional qualitative techniques offers a glimpse into the future of market research.

An essential read for business leaders and aspiring researchers alike, this book illuminates the path to deeper, more meaningful customer insights for increasingly complex markets.

"Wow! David has taken qualitative research to the next dimension."
— Regis McKenna

"Beautifully written and impactful!"
— Linda Swindling, negotiation expert, speaker, coach, and bestselling author of Ask Outrageously!

"I love when I can learn something new, or see it in a new light, and David Schneer has done exactly that with Backbone."
— Joe Navarro, author of the international bestseller, Be Exceptional (Harper Collins)

"Engaging and masterfully told ... David Schneer’s secret sauce is his own resilience, determination, curiosity and empathy. With these as his tools of the trade he shows us that qualitative research combined with a bit of AI can reveal the very core of the human condition to help us better understand each other and the world around us."
— Andy Cunningham, CEO Cunningham Collective, author of Get to Aha!

"Backbone is the ultimate manual of qualitative analysis, that opens to the reader a new way of approaching the world – in business and life."
— Michael S. Malone, Silicon Valley Journalist and Author