---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the face of uncertainty, many…"
description: "\"In the face of uncertainty, many companies will default to asking their innovators to study and analyze, which can't actually ever provide a definitive..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/scott-d-anthony-6772_answers_in-the-face-of-uncertainty-many-companie_672510.png"
---

#  In the face of uncertainty, many companies will default to…

![“In the face of uncertainty, many companies will default to asking their innovators to study and analyze, which can't actually ever provide a definitive answer.” quote by Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/scott-d-anthony-6772_answers_in-the-face-of-uncertainty-many-companie_672510.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/scott-d-anthony-6772_answers_in-the-face-of-uncertainty-many-companie_672510.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/scott-d-anthony-6772_answers_in-the-face-of-uncertainty-many-companie_672510.png)

> “In the face of uncertainty, many companies will default to asking their innovators to study and analyze, which can't actually ever provide a definitive answer.”

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Companies often rely on analysis instead of decisive action when faced with uncertainty, limiting progress.

**In simple terms:** Analysis can replace action under uncertainty.

Key Takeaway

Act decisively despite unknowns.

Themes

uncertainty decisionmaking innovation

Mood

cautious strategic

Type

advisory motivational

When to use this quote

- product development
- market entry
- crisis response

Key Concepts

analysis paralysis strategic risk

Questions to Reflect On

- How can leaders balance analysis with action?
- When is it okay to act without full data?

A Different Perspective

Analysis alone cannot replace the need for experimentation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Innovators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovators/) [Uncertainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncertainty/)

## Related quotes

> [In the face of uncertainty, many companies will default to asking their innovators to study and analyze, which can't actually ever provide a definitive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/in-the-face-of-uncertainty-many-companies-will-default-to-asking-2/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [We've got some great big problems in our world. We have to figure out how to feed 10 billion people. Too many people can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/we-ve-got-some-great-big-problems-in-our-world-we-have-to-figure-out/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [Good innovators are careful observers, network extensively, run experiments, ask lots of questions, and find ways to bring diverse ideas together. Overarching all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/good-innovators-are-careful-observers-network-extensively-run/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [The sad truth is as difficult as the first mile can be for entrepreneurs, it is doubly tough inside most large companies as innovators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/the-sad-truth-is-as-difficult-as-the-first-mile-can-be-for/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [Not only do innovators have to deal with all of the fundamental challenges of innovation, they have to do so in an environment that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/not-only-do-innovators-have-to-deal-with-all-of-the-fundamental/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [All disruptive innovators make it easier and more affordable for people to do what matters to them, and follow a strategy that doesn't at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/all-disruptive-innovators-make-it-easier-and-more-affordable-for/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [Good innovators like to solve business crossword puzzles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/good-innovators-like-to-solve-business-crossword-puzzles/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [People who live in more than two countries are more successful innovators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/people-who-live-in-more-than-two-countries-are-more-successful/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [It's one of the underappreciated skills required by an innovator - they have to be able to convince lots of people to do things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/it-s-one-of-the-underappreciated-skills-required-by-an-innovator-they/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [As policymakers, we need to foster an environment that allows U.S.-based innovators and entrepreneurs to compete and to flourish. Excessive regulations and bureaucratic red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-hall/as-policymakers-we-need-to-foster-an-environment-that-allows-u-s/)

[Ralph Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-hall/)

> [There's a general belief that failure is the friend of the innovator, but I've come to view it a different way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/there-s-a-general-belief-that-failure-is-the-friend-of-the-innovator/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [You can absolutely be what you can't see! That's what innovators and disruptors do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-bryant/you-can-absolutely-be-what-you-can-t-see-that-s-what-innovators-and/)

[Kimberly Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-bryant/)

> [I'm no innovator. If anything I'm a stealer, or borrower. I've stolen or borrowed from more people than you can shake a stick at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/i-m-no-innovator-if-anything-i-m-a-stealer-or-borrower-i-ve-stolen-or/)

[Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/)

> [What counts alone is the innovator, the dissenter, the harbinger of things unheard of, the man who rejects the traditional standards and aims at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/what-counts-alone-is-the-innovator-the-dissenter-the-harbinger-of/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/)

[Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/)

## More by Scott D. Anthony

> [I think the most important thing to do is to recognize the fundamentally different circumstances of pursuing growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/i-think-the-most-important-thing-to-do-is-to-recognize-the/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [Document, evaluate, focus, test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/document-evaluate-focus-test/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [It's very easy to skip steps when documenting an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/it-s-very-easy-to-skip-steps-when-documenting-an-idea/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [Every leader needs to watch what teenagers or startup companies - or startup companies headed by teenagers - are doing today, because many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/every-leader-needs-to-watch-what-teenagers-or-startup-companies-or/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [In the strengthening the core job, a leader can draw on their past experiences. After all, in most cases they did the job of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/in-the-strengthening-the-core-job-a-leader-can-draw-on-their-past/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [If you are a large company and you want to do something unique, you almost by definition have to tap onto the core business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/if-you-are-a-large-company-and-you-want-to-do-something-unique-you/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [You still want to be thoughtful about what you do, no doubt, but you have to learn through trial-and-error experimentation as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/you-still-want-to-be-thoughtful-about-what-you-do-no-doubt-but-you/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [It takes a great deal of humility to recognize you have made a wrong turn on the road to successful innovation, but better to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/it-takes-a-great-deal-of-humility-to-recognize-you-have-made-a-wrong/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [“Creating a new business from scratch is hard, but executives of incumbents have the dual challenge of creating new businesses while simultaneously staving off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/creating-a-new-business-from-scratch-is-hard-but-executives-of/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [The most important thing here is to largely ignore what customers say, and instead watch what they do or track where they spend money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/the-most-important-thing-here-is-to-largely-ignore-what-customers-say/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [Make sure that you take the time to think about how other companies might respond to your idea, both those companies already in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/make-sure-that-you-take-the-time-to-think-about-how-other-companies/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [Aside from the equivalent of blowing up the lab or letting a pathogen escape, the only failure is spending too long or too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/aside-from-the-equivalent-of-blowing-up-the-lab-or-letting-a-pathogen/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [Mucken Singh works VERY hard on his brawler's physique!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/mucken-singh-works-very-hard-on-his-brawler-s-physique/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [Most startup companies have two people, and they figure out creative ways to swarm problems. They move faster and have more impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/most-startup-companies-have-two-people-and-they-figure-out-creative/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [Three of our core corporate values are inclusiveness, collaboration, and humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/three-of-our-core-corporate-values-are-inclusiveness-collaboration/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

[Explore all 97 Scott D. Anthony quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

## More Answers quotes

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/)

[Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/)

> [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/)

[Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/)

> [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/)

[Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/)

> [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/)

[Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/)

> [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/)

[Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/)

> [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In the face of uncertainty, many companies will default to asking their innovators to study and analyze, which can't actually ever provide a definitive answer.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Scott D. Anthony"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/in-the-face-of-uncertainty-many-companies-will-default-to-asking/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Answers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/in-the-face-of-uncertainty-many-companies-will-default-to-asking/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/scott-d-anthony-6772_answers_in-the-face-of-uncertainty-many-companie_672510.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/scott-d-anthony-6772_answers_in-the-face-of-uncertainty-many-companie_672510.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/scott-d-anthony-6772_answers_in-the-face-of-uncertainty-many-companie_672510.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In the face of uncertainty, many companies will default to asking their innovators to study and analyze…” — Scott D. Anthony",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Scott D. Anthony",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In the face of uncertainty, many...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/in-the-face-of-uncertainty-many-companies-will-default-to-asking/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/in-the-face-of-uncertainty-many-companies-will-default-to-asking/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
