Why I’m reconsidering a principle I’ve believed for years.I’ve always believed that imperfect research is better than no research at all.Synthetic users have made me reconsider that. When synthetic responses are treated like findings from real users, they can create something far more dangerous than uncertainty: false confidence.What I mean by “imperfect research”Until synthetic users entered the picture, “imperfect research” still meant some contact with the thing you were trying to understand: actual users, their behavior, and their experiences. Maybe the sample is small, recruitment is messy, or the prototype is rough. Sometimes you only have time for five interviews. These limitations matter. They affect what you can conclude, but one thing remains true: you observed or talked to actual people.No study is perfect. Every study has limitations that shape what we can responsibly...