More is always better right?
More feedback from clients can help you improve your service. More money can help you build better products and teams. More data can help you make better decisions. More resolution can make your photos better.
More is always better isn’t it?
Well. No. More isn’t always better.
Seth Godin recently said that “Too much resolution stops giving you information and becomes merely noise, which actually gets in the way of the accuracy you seek.”
This is very true. Anyone that’s ever worked with data will tell you that more data just means more work. Sure, you may find a great nugget in that additional data, but that extra data doesn’t always equate to more knowledge but it always equates to more work.
To Seth Godin’s point, more ‘resolution’ isn’t always the answer either. I can go buy a $50,000 camera with the highest resolution possible and still make terrible photos. Just because I have the resolution available to me doesn’t mean I have the lenses available to take advantage of that resolution nor does it mean I have the talent to utilize the high resolution.
More isn’t always better. Adding more data to your already large data set isn’t going to find the answer for you. It might help you find more questions to ask, but it doesn’t guarantee that an answer will be found.
Rather than go spend $50K on the ‘best’ camera, spend $500 on an OK camera and learn the skills and methods needed to make the most of what you have. When you’ve mastered your ‘art’, then move up to something more expensive with more functions.
Rather than focus on gathering more data, you need to be focused on using the data you have in the most optimal way possible. Make sure you have the tools and skills in place to analyze / use what you have before you go and add ‘more’ to the mix.
