đź‘‹ Reader,
I am not a huge fan of NASCAR, but that doesn't prevent me from marveling at the engine underneath the hood. That powerful piece of machinery has a lot to teach us about scaling research impact.
As a detective, I learned that the more eyes we had on a case, the faster we solved it. The same principle applies to product research, and here's why.
Think of your research capability like an engine. Just as engines use cylinders to generate power, your research engine uses people to generate insights.
Here's the thing about engines:
- More cylinders = More power
- More cylinders = Smoother operation
- More cylinders = Better fuel processing
Now, let's translate this to how researchers have traditionally operated:
- More researchers = More insights
- More researchers = Smoother discovery
- More researchers = Better data processing
But this is where most companies get it wrong...
They limit research to researchers. That's like trying to power a truck with a lawnmower engine. You're artificially constraining your potential.
The harsh reality?
Your dedicated research team will never be big enough to meet the speed demands of modern product development. Never.
So what's the solution?
Turn everyone into a cylinder in your research engine.
This isn't about replacing researchers—it's about amplifying their impact. Think of it this way:
Traditional Model:
- Small research team
- Limited bandwidth
- Slow insights generation
- Research bottleneck
Distributed Research Engine:
- Company-wide research capability
- Massive bandwidth
- Rapid insights generation
- Research acceleration
But here's the critical part—you can't just tell people to "go do research." That's like putting diesel in a gasoline engine. You'll seize the whole thing up.
What you need is:
- Clear research frameworks (your fuel injection system)
- Basic investigation training (your engine timing)
- Quality control processes (your engine management system)
- Expert oversight (your engine diagnostic system)
When you get these elements right, you create a high-performance research engine that can:
- Process more customer feedback
- Generate insights faster
- Accelerate product decisions
- Drive business growth
Remember: In today's market, speed wins. But speed without direction is just a fast way to crash. By building a multi-cylinder research engine, you get both power AND control.
The bottom line? Stop trying to win the race with a single-cylinder engine when your competition is running on eight.
Stay frosty,
/ari
Real Quick...
This is the part where I DO try to sell you something. If you want to learn how to use detective-grade investigation techniques to do great research fast, reply to this email or set up a call here.