The 300th Episode

Welcome to season nine of Intellicast! On today’s season premiere (and very special episode), Brian is joined by Gabby Blados, Matthew Alexander, and Jason Inderhees to celebrate a major milestone for the show; its 300^th episode! The team takes some time in the first half of this episode to take a step back to reflect on the conversations, people, and moments that have shaped Intellicast over the years.

Kicking things off, the group reflects on how Intellicast started and how far it’s come. What began as a loose, informal podcast quickly evolved into a regular space for honest industry dialogue — sometimes polished, sometimes chaotic, but always real. From early technical hiccups to live recordings that didn’t quite go as planned, the team laughs through the growing pains that came with finding their rhythm.

The conversation naturally turns to the people who’ve made the podcast what it is. Over 80 guests have joined Intellicast over the last 8 season, including researchers, clients, partners, and industry voices who were willing to speak candidly, challenge assumptions, and occasionally disagree. The group reflects on recurring guests and familiar names that listeners have come to recognize, as well as first-time appearances that sparked memorable discussions.

Brian, Gabby, Matthew, and Jason also share some of their favorite moments from past episodes, from COVID-era conversations recorded in the middle of uncertainty, to debates that ran long because no one wanted to wrap them up, to the occasional episode that earned an explicit tag. These moments weren’t scripted or planned, but they helped define the personality of the show and made it feel less like a production and more like a conversation.

Another theme that surfaces throughout the episode is how Intellicast became a place for the industry to talk honestly about what wasn’t working. Long before data quality became a headline issue, the podcast was already digging into fraud, feasibility challenges, client pressure, and unrealistic expectations. Those conversations didn’t always have neat conclusions, but they reflected what people were actually dealing with day to day.

The group also acknowledges how the podcast has evolved alongside the industry. As new voices joined the conversation and new challenges emerged (AI, synthetic data, tighter budgets, shifting client expectation),  IntelliCast adapted without losing its core identity. The format changed, contributors rotated in and out, but the focus stayed the same: curiosity, skepticism, and real discussion over rehearsed talking points.

It wouldn’t be Intellicast without discussing some of the latest headlines. THe team discusses a few of the recent headlines from around market research including:

• New partnership between Qualtrics and ROI Rocket
• PureSpectrum’s new partnership with TA Associates
• New roles for Michael Polster and Vignesh Krishnan
• IRB’s new healthcare professional panel.

Thanks to everyone who has been with us on this ride!

We’ve just launched our new whitepaper, The Fraud Detection Reality Check. Get you copy and find out why relying on a single fraud detection tool is a mistake. Download here: https://content.emi-rs.com/fraud-detection-report

Did you miss one of our webinars or want to get some of our whitepapers and reports?
You can find it all on our Resources page on our website here: https://emi-rs.com/resources/