Expert Interviews: Outman vs AlphaSights
When Flexibility and Full Service Matter
Expert interviews have become a critical tool in commercial due diligence, strategy validation, and market entry assessments. Platforms like AlphaSights have built strong global networks that make it efficient to access industry professionals quickly. For many projects — particularly when a broadly defined expert profile is sufficient — this model works well.
However, not all expert interview needs are the same. At Outman, we approach expert interviews differently: not as a network transaction, but as a tailored research engagement built around the specific objectives of the project — and managed end to end.
Network Access vs Project-Specific Recruitment
Large expert networks operate on scale. Their value lies in speed and breadth: if you need a relatively generic profile — for example, “a former sales leader in European enterprise software” — they can often provide options quickly from an existing pool.
Outman’s model is different. Rather than relying solely on pre-existing panels, we recruit specifically for your project brief. If your case requires a highly nuanced profile — such as a channel partner in a particular segment, a buyer with defined procurement authority, or a former executive with direct exposure to a specific pricing model — we build the recruitment strategy around those criteria.
We are not limited by a static database. We adapt the search to your hypotheses.
Scheduling Calls vs Running the Full Interview Programme
Many expert network engagements are primarily about access: identifying a suitable expert and scheduling a call. The client then typically owns the interview guide, the probing, the note-taking, and the synthesis.
Outman runs the complete interview process. We manage each step to ensure interviews translate into decision-ready insight, not just conversation:
Scoping and refining hypotheses and screening criteria
Recruiting and qualifying experts against the brief
Coordinating scheduling and handling honoraria/payments
Building discussion guides tailored to your questions
Conducting interviews with structured, consultancy-level probing
Validating and triangulating findings across multiple sources
Delivering clear outputs: summaries, matrices, and transcripts where required
This integrated approach is particularly valuable when internal time is limited, the topic is complex, or the project requires robust validation rather than anecdotal inputs.
Scale vs Flexibility
Scale brings efficiency — but it can also mean standardisation. Outman operates as a boutique consultancy. That means we can stay close to your objectives and adapt quickly as a project evolves:
Adjust expert profiles mid-stream as new insights emerge
Add follow-up interviews to close specific evidence gaps
Expand to adjacent stakeholders (customers, channel partners, suppliers)
Align deliverables to your internal decision process and timeline
For CDD and strategic projects, this flexibility can materially improve the relevance and usefulness of the final insight.
When to Choose Which Model
If you need fast access to a broadly defined expert and plan to manage the interview internally, a large expert network can be a practical solution.
If you need precise, project-specific recruitment and an end-to-end interview programme — from scoping through validation and deliverables — a boutique, research-led approach is often the better fit.
At Outman, expert interviews are not just scheduled calls. They are a structured process designed to reduce uncertainty and strengthen strategic decisions.