Molly Austin on spotting the consumer signals that matter
October 1, 2026
What can a childhood media study tell us about TikTok a decade later? Quite a lot, according to insights and strategy leader Molly Austin.
Molly joins Devora Rogers to talk about a career that has taken her from Sesame Street and Nickelodeon to Meta, Walmart and Uber, and the research lessons she has carried with her along the way. They get into understanding Gen Z without relying on easy assumptions, combining behavioral and reported data, finding the people and quotes that make research stick, and recognizing the small consumer signals that may become much bigger over time.
Molly also shares what she’s working on now, including helping companies turn research, customer knowledge and proprietary data into stronger points of view and business stories.
About Molly Austin:
Molly Austin is a consumer insights and research leader with experience across technology, retail, media and entertainment. She has previously held insights and research roles at Uber, Walmart, Etsy, Meta, Universal Music Group, MarketCast and Nickelodeon. Molly specializes in qualitative and quantitative research, consumer behavior and using data to identify trends and inform business strategy.
Connect with Molly on LinkedIn: Molly Austin
To learn more, visit:
https://alteragents.com/
Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/devora-rogers
