The Devil's Advocate

Action points

• Don’t base the success of your new idea on large-scale quantitative research exercises.
• If you need research, do it on the deep, micro level (see Rule 32: Sleep with your customers).
• If you realise you need research mainly to convince sceptical others, then think of simpler ways to do this such as buying ‘off the shelf’ research, or doing a competitor audit.

(*i.e. more for support than illumination)