This article offers an unconventional cost-benefit analysis of three academic development initiatives at a large Australasian university: a three-day foundation course for new academics, a series of one-on-one teaching consultations and a two-year postgraduate certificate program. Weaving together qualitative, quantitative and arts-based methodologies, I examine the pros and cons of each mode, arguing that higher education research is enriched rather than diminished by hybrid strategies that challenge the status quo.