Insight Compliance

Why most research delivers nothing—by design

Best practices became code for playing it safe.

Instead of exploring the unique tensions in a category, teams began following scripts. Methods passed from project to project, often unchanged except for logos. Rote, recognized, reliable.

Insight departments lean on these methods because they’re safe to commission. Vendors lean on them because they’re safe to deliver. No one has to explain a weird approach or answer for an unexpected outcome.

Insight compliance happens when the process matters more than the decision.

It’s not about lying.

It’s not fake data. It’s precision without consequence.

The method runs. The report looks sharp.

But the strategy stalls, or worse—moves forward for reasons unrelated to the research.

Common signs:

A research plan handed down without room to rethink the core question

A 100-page deck that includes “the findings,” but not “the decision”

Tradeoff models that sidestep the actual constraints leadership faces

Researchers who execute flawlessly—even when they disagree with the premise

Stakeholders walking away with stronger opinions, not clearer alignment

Insight compliance isn’t failure.

It’s something more dangerous: the illusion of progress.

A process that looks smart, delivers nothing, and repeats next year.