The Difference Between Data and Insight (And Why It Matters)

Hi there, it's Steph 👋

As the week wraps up, let’s bust a myth I see all the time in research circles—one I used to believe myself when I started my research career:

If you have data, you have insights. ❌

It sounds smart, but it’s misleading.

Real insights aren’t just sitting in the data, waiting to be discovered. They’re shaped. You start with raw material — a balanced sample, survey responses, natural language quotes — and chip away, over and over, until something sharper and more meaningful comes into view. It takes time, learned intuition, and lots of reps to get there.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Observation (not insight):
  ​“Parents are burned out.”
  → Okay. That’s been true for decades. So what?
  ​
• Interesting pattern (getting warmer):
  ​“Millennial dads are burned out, but less likely to talk about it.”
  → That’s a new layer. Curious. Let’s keep going.
  ​
• Insight (💥):
  ​“Fathers aren't opting out of leave benefits, they're opting out of being seen as needing help because it's been culturally normalized.”
  → Now we’re somewhere. That’s a new understanding of human behavior, and something teams can solve for.

A true insight should stop you mid-scroll.

You only need one sticky insight – a fresh human truth – to move a stakeholder, a boardroom, an audience, or even a slice of the world.

This week’s field notes break down how to get there.

Best,
Steph

‍

TL;DR: A fact explains. An insight compels.

The difference is what makes people act. Keep going until you find something that matters in your data (spoiler alert: it isn't an easy or quick exercise).

‍

Field Notes

How to Spot (and Shape) a Real Insight

So, what makes something an insight, not just a fact?

Here’s a quick test I use when pressure-testing research takeaways:

A true insight is...​
​💡 New: It offers a fresh angle or uncovers an unmet need.
💬 True: It resonates emotionally and behaviorally. You see it, feel it, nod.
🔍 Not obvious: If your client already knows it, it’s not news, it’s background. Keep going until you find something they don’t already know.

And most importantly: it can lead to action.

Here’s how to iterate your way there:

1. Start with patterns.
   ​What’s coming up in the data more than once? What’s unexpected?
   Example: People in the South say X, but in the Northeast, it’s Y. That’s not the insight, but it’s where you start digging.
   ​
2. Zoom in on tension.
   ​Where’s the dissonance between what people say and what they do? What feels emotionally charged?
   Example: Women say they prioritize rest, but their behaviors show they’re actually doubling down on output. That tension is a clue.
   ​
3. Draft and test your takeaways.
   ​Say them out loud. Do they hit? Do they make you feel something?
   Try the “so what?” test:
   “Parents are burned out.” So what?
   “Fathers are opting out of being seen as needing help.” Now that’s an institutional design challenge.
   ​
4. Sharpen with contrast.
   ​Insights often appear at points of contrast:
   South vs Northeast. Gen Z vs Boomers. Stated belief vs actual behavior.
   Friction reveals the story.
   ​
5. Keep editing.
   ​Your first insight isn’t your best one. The magic usually lives in version 3 or 4. Don't put your digital pencil down until you've reached a true insight.

I keep coming back to this line:

“I would have written you a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time.”

The hardest part of being an insights curator is knowing what to leave out. Distilling down to the few things that truly matter.

Pride can get in the way. There might be that urge to keep all of the cool things you learned from your study—don’t do it.

"Interesting" doesn’t move people... true, human, emotional clarity does.