This document outlines 8 principles for making user research lean: 1. Just do it - Conduct research in real world locations like coffee shops and airports. 2. It's a collective effort - Research should involve the whole product team to surface assumptions and gaps. 3. Know your assumptions - Sketching helps reveal assumptions. 4. Mix discovery and validation - Blend new ideas generation with improving existing products. 5. Go beyond listening, watch what they do - Observation provides important insights beyond interviews. 6. Quality over quantity - Look for patterns rather than large samples. 7. Go beyond interviews and observations - Methods like phone tours, diaries and concept comparisons provide additional insights. 8.