--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've seen people spend days, if not…" description: "\"I've seen people spend days, if not months, researching and gathering data, but only at the end did they finally figure out what they were really looki..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/robert-pozen-23969_conclusion_i-ve-seen-people-spend-days-if-not-month_1823710.png" --- # I've seen people spend days, if not months, researching… ![“I've seen people spend days, if not months, researching and gathering data, but only at the end did they finally figure out what they were really looking for; then they have to redo a lot of stuff. If after a day or so you force yourself to put together your tentative conclusions, then you'll have…” quote by Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/robert-pozen-23969_conclusion_i-ve-seen-people-spend-days-if-not-month_1823710.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/robert-pozen-23969_conclusion_i-ve-seen-people-spend-days-if-not-month_1823710.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/robert-pozen-23969_conclusion_i-ve-seen-people-spend-days-if-not-month_1823710.png) > “I've seen people spend days, if not months, researching and gathering data, but only at the end did they finally figure out what they were really looking for; then they have to redo a lot of stuff. If after a day or so you force yourself to put together your tentative conclusions, then you'll have guidance for the rest of your research.” [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Promptly forming provisional conclusions guides the remainder of a project, preventing wasted effort later. **In simple terms:** Early drafts steer later work. Key Takeaway Draft early, refine later. Themes research efficiency iteration decision‑making Mood analytical pragmatic Type strategic process‑oriented When to use this quote - drafting research outlines - setting interim milestones - reviewing early findings Key Concepts hypothesis formation project planning feedback loops Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance speed and accuracy in early drafts? - What safeguards prevent misdirection? A Different Perspective Risk of premature conclusions leading to bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conclusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusion/) [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Gathering data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gathering-data/) [Guidance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guidance/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Redos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/redos/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) ## Related quotes > [I spend about eight months researching and outlining my book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/i-spend-about-eight-months-researching-and-outlining-my-book/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [All my books take a long time to research. I spend several months researching before I start writing, and in the middle of writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sue-park/all-my-books-take-a-long-time-to-research-i-spend-several-months/) [Linda Sue Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sue-park/) > [If all meanings could be adequately expressed by words, the arts of painting and music would not exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/if-all-meanings-could-be-adequately-expressed-by-words-the-arts-of/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [For me myself, I feel it's always interesting gathering data. I have my team who do that. I think they feed me through specific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-anderson/for-me-myself-i-feel-it-s-always-interesting-gathering-data-i-have-my/) [Kevin Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-anderson/) > [The dynamic interplay of neural activity within and in between systems is the very essence of brain function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-restak/the-dynamic-interplay-of-neural-activity-within-and-in-between/) [Richard Restak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-restak/) > [Nilekani's technocratic obsession with gathering data is consistent with that of Bill Gates, as though lack of information is what is causing world hunger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/nilekani-s-technocratic-obsession-with-gathering-data-is-consistent/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Motion is the context of living. We find meaning my and in our doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kegan/motion-is-the-context-of-living-we-find-meaning-my-and-in-our-doing/) [Robert Kegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kegan/) > [One might equate growing up with a mistrust of words. A mature person trusts his eyes more than his ears. Irrationality often manifests itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/one-might-equate-growing-up-with-a-mistrust-of-words-a-mature-person/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm worried about privacy - the companies out there gathering data on us, the stuff we do on Twitter, the publicly scrapeable stuff on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arrington/i-m-worried-about-privacy-the-companies-out-there-gathering-data-on/) [Michael Arrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arrington/) > [“Big Data: by itself doesn't yield insights...information doesn't serve us...without knowing why…unless something transformative is brought to these data sets (to create) understanding Gathering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-lotto/big-data-by-itself-doesn-t-yield-insights-information-doesn-t-serve/) [Beau Lotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-lotto/) > [Nothing takes root in mind when there is no balance between doing and receiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/nothing-takes-root-in-mind-when-there-is-no-balance-between-doing-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > […the research on the brain does not validate that we are singularly processing input or learning with a single sensory input.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-jensen/the-research-on-the-brain-does-not-validate-that-we-are-singularly/) [Eric Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-jensen/) > [Sometimes you feel some artists are doing the same thing that you're doing but in a different field. But they have the same approach.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/missy-mazzoli/sometimes-you-feel-some-artists-are-doing-the-same-thing-that-you-re/) [Missy Mazzoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/missy-mazzoli/) > [Personal participation is the universal principle of knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-polanyi/personal-participation-is-the-universal-principle-of-knowing/) [Michael Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-polanyi/) > [Empathic listening takes time, but it doesn't take anywhere near as much time as it takes to back up and correct misunderstandings when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/empathic-listening-takes-time-but-it-doesn-t-take-anywhere-near-as/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) ## More by Robert Pozen > [The night before, go over your schedule and see what you're going to do and what the purpose of what you're doing is. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/the-night-before-go-over-your-schedule-and-see-what-you-re-going-to/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [I am a great believer in the OHIO principle: Only handle it once. When you read an e-mail, decide whether or not to reply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/i-am-a-great-believer-in-the-ohio-principle-only-handle-it-once-when/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [If you want an active schedule, you have to husband your time so you can act on the things that are important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/if-you-want-an-active-schedule-you-have-to-husband-your-time-so-you/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [You need to agree with your boss about what you need to get done that week, what are the metrics of success. Sometimes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/you-need-to-agree-with-your-boss-about-what-you-need-to-get-done-that/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [Everyone knows that exercise can improve your health. Exercise is a key part of managing your weight and maintaining healthy hearts, lungs, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/everyone-knows-that-exercise-can-improve-your-health-exercise-is-a/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [Wall Street is at best ambivalent. The size of the accounts is nothing big. How many Wall Street firms do you know that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/wall-street-is-at-best-ambivalent-the-size-of-the-accounts-is-nothing/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [No matter what your career aspirations are, you should begin by thinking carefully about why you are engaging in any activity and what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/no-matter-what-your-career-aspirations-are-you-should-begin-by/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [The way you delegate is that first you have to hire people that you really have confidence in. You won't truly let those people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/the-way-you-delegate-is-that-first-you-have-to-hire-people-that-you/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [Most people get overwhelmed by the insignificant decisions of their lives. I'm urging people to minimize the time spent on these when they're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/most-people-get-overwhelmed-by-the-insignificant-decisions-of-their/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [Routinize the routine. The things that aren't important to you, whether it's breakfast or your commute, try to do them with the least energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/routinize-the-routine-the-things-that-aren-t-important-to-you-whether/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [From the law firm's perspective, billing by the hour has a certain appeal: it shifts risk from the firm to the client in case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/from-the-law-firm-s-perspective-billing-by-the-hour-has-a-certain/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [The classic problem as an entrepreneur is that they have a hard time delegating. But that's really crazy. Recruiting other executives is critical, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/the-classic-problem-as-an-entrepreneur-is-that-they-have-a-hard-time/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [The quality of American patents has been deteriorating for years; they are increasingly issued for products and processes that are not truly innovative -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/the-quality-of-american-patents-has-been-deteriorating-for-years-they/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [America is the only major country that tries to ascertain who was the first applicant to invent the product or procedure. This may seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/america-is-the-only-major-country-that-tries-to-ascertain-who-was-the/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) > [The most important thing is to talk to people that have jobs that you might like and to see what they say the job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pozen/the-most-important-thing-is-to-talk-to-people-that-have-jobs-that-you/) [Robert Pozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) [Explore all 25 Robert Pozen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pozen/) ## More Conclusion quotes > [I'm not going to be part of looking at information only partially. I'm not going to be part of just coming to quick conclusions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-cleland/i-m-not-going-to-be-part-of-looking-at-information-only-partially-i-m/) [Max Cleland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-cleland/) > [From what I have seen, I am driven to the conclusion that religion is only good for good people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/from-what-i-have-seen-i-am-driven-to-the-conclusion-that-religion-is/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [The main conclusion here arrived at ... is that man is descended from some less highly organized form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-main-conclusion-here-arrived-at-is-that-man-is-descended-from/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [Your deeper sense isn’t a springboard; it’s a landing place. If you draw conclusions too quickly or too slowly, you’ll establish your self where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/your-deeper-sense-isn-t-a-springboard-it-s-a-landing-place-if-you/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [When there is a mission before you, you see it from its beginning to its conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-white/when-there-is-a-mission-before-you-you-see-it-from-its-beginning-to/) [Jesse White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-white/) > [Every study on chocolate is pointing to the same conclusion: there is something in chocolate that is really good for us. That something is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wolfe/every-study-on-chocolate-is-pointing-to-the-same-conclusion-there-is/) [David Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wolfe/) > [I have come to the definite conclusion that musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinichi-suzuki/i-have-come-to-the-definite-conclusion-that-musical-ability-is-not-an/) [Shinichi Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinichi-suzuki/) > [Study how a society uses its land, and you can come to pretty reliable conclusions as to what its future will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/study-how-a-society-uses-its-land-and-you-can-come-to-pretty-reliable/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [That's what politics is. It's the story of what's happening, what does it mean, what's the conclusion, who are the interesting characters?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickerson/that-s-what-politics-is-it-s-the-story-of-what-s-happening-what-does/) [John Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickerson/) > [It's my firm conclusion that human meaning comes from humans, not from a supernatural source. After we die, our hopes for an afterlife reside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/it-s-my-firm-conclusion-that-human-meaning-comes-from-humans-not-from/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [To each eye, perhaps, the outlines of a great civilization present a different picture. In the wide ocean upon which we venture, the possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/to-each-eye-perhaps-the-outlines-of-a-great-civilization-present-a/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [If you jump to conclusion you can't step on a clue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-santinello/if-you-jump-to-conclusion-you-can-t-step-on-a-clue/) [James Santinello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-santinello/) > [I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-cannot-escape-from-the-conclusion-that-the-great-ages-of-progress/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Browse all 1,619 Conclusion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've seen people spend days, if not months, researching and gathering data, but only at the end did they finally figure out what they were really looking for; then they have to redo a lot of stuff. 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