Kodak built the first digital camera in 1975. They had the technology. They had the market. What they lacked was urgency. Protecting the old business felt safer than moving toward the new one. By the time they acted, their lead was gone. They never recovered.
That story has become a cliché in business school slideshows, but it remains relevant. Not because it’s about film or digital photography, but because it shows what happens when insight is available and action doesn’t follow.
In fast-moving markets, delay carries a cost. Sometimes that cost is everything.
The Gap Between Knowing and Moving
Most companies today are overwhelmed with information. The problem isn’t a lack of data—it’s getting to the part that matters fast enough to do something with it.
Recent surveys show that data professionals spend up to half their time preparing, cleaning, or rediscovering information that already exists. That’s time that doesn’t move the strategy forward. It creates drag. It makes teams slower and decisions harder to reach.
The financial cost adds up quickly, but the strategic cost is harder to measure. It shows up when competitors launch first. It shows up when a trend passes before your analysis is ready. It shows up when your best ideas arrive late to the room.
Speed Is No Longer a Luxury
Market cycles are getting shorter. Competitive windows are tighter. There is less room to wait.
Leaders who rely on monthly briefings or quarterly updates are already behind. A team that can see change early and respond quickly will outperform one that needs to schedule meetings just to understand what’s happening. Velocity matters.
What Automation Solves, and What It Doesn’t
Artificial intelligence has made it easier to collect and process data. That’s helpful. Research workflows that used to take days can now happen in hours. But faster tools don’t replace good judgment.
Automation can surface patterns. It cannot decide which ones are worth following. It cannot explain why one signal matters more than another. For that, you still need analysts who understand context, risk, and tradeoffs.
Good insight needs both. Machines bring speed. Humans bring focus.
A Different Way to Work
Speedrun was built for leaders who can’t afford to wait. Our model combines automated systems with experienced analysts, so data becomes decisions without getting stuck in the middle.
We don’t deliver binders or bloated dashboards. We deliver briefings. Tight, clear, and tailored to what the executive table actually needs to know.
It isn’t about more information. It’s about the right insight, at the right moment, with enough clarity to move.
Where to Begin
Start by looking at your current decision timelines. How long does it take your team to go from question to clarity? If the answer is measured in weeks, you already know what the problem is.
Cut what can be automated. Invest in the parts that need experience and interpretation. Build a research function that works at the pace your market demands.
Because delay doesn’t feel like a failure when it happens. It just feels like waiting. The consequences only become clear later—when someone else gets there first.
Speedrun LTD. 
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