I don't know if it's my nature or nurture or a unique combination of both, but it really, really bugs me when words are used imprecisely. One of the most common victims in business is the word "insight".
It's a lovely word with deep roots in Old English "insiht" meaning narrative, and German and Scandinavian words "Einsicht" and "insikt" meaning inner vision/wisdom. Centuries of language use have led inexorably to the modern connotation we have today, insight is a deep and penetrating understanding of something.
Unfortunately, all too often when this noble and powerful word is used today, it's merely a label for information. We say "develop insights" and then all that happens is we "collect facts". Gathering and organizing information is not easy and requires real skill and focus but because it is an important first step on the road to gaining insight, the two words are used interchangeably, clumsily reducing the clarity of both.
But insight is transformative. It's what happens when you analyze multiple sources of information in ways that cast new light on a topic and create a jumping-off point for change. Insight doesn't just inform you, it compels you to act differently, think differently, or see a situation through an entirely new lens. Where information describes the status quo, insight reveals what could be. It creates urgency and agency. Real insights are exciting.
Information is the data we collect, the reports we generate, the metrics we track. It answers questions like "How many customers bought our product?" or "What's our conversion rate?" But insight? That’s the difference between knowing that a customer segment purchased at a certain rate and understanding why they made that choice, what unmet need drove them, and crucially, what you should do differently as a result.
The alchemy of insight generation requires something special. It starts with gathering diverse information sources because single-source thinking creates blind spots. Then you need a framework for inquiry that prevents you from simply using data to confirm what you already believe. This means starting with hypotheses to test, actively seeking evidence that contradicts your assumptions, and deliberately adopting perspectives that challenge your worldview. Insight work requires soft skills that remain distinctly human: curiosity to ask deeper questions, open-mindedness to consider uncomfortable alternatives, empathy to understand motivations from others' viewpoints, and creative thinking to spot unexpected connections. This is why insight remains rare and valuable while information is increasingly abundant. Anyone can collect data, but synthesizing it into something that transforms how we think and act, that's the real craft.
Curious if you a pedant too? What imprecise use of words really gets your goat? And what practices have you found effective for developing genuine insights? I'd love to hear your ideas…