---
slug: who-handles-research-tasks
title: Who handles research tasks
category: definition
status: published
tags: [research, riley, sam, who-does-what, ui, chat-panel, task-card, chairman-view]
aliases: []
lastEditAt: 2026-04-26
---
**Who handles research tasks?**

It depends on what you're researching. **Riley** handles external research — competitors, market size, customer sentiment, pricing benchmarks. **Sam** handles internal research — churn, cohorts, revenue analysis. When a question crosses both, both appear in the same Task Card.

**What can I ask for?**

- "Compare us to our top three competitors" → Riley
- "Why did our churn spike this month?" → Sam
- "What's the market size for [category]?" → Riley
- "Are we cheap vs. competitors?" → Riley + Sam together

**How to work with them**

Ask your question in the CEO chat. Astra brings the right person in. Riley's reports have citations at every claim. Sam's analysis shows the math with time windows and cohorts.