--- title: "The100: Patterns that aren't, time well spent and the knights of Arundel" description: "The100: Patterns that aren't, time well spent and the knights of Arundel" image: https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/The100%20Banners%20(1920%20x%201080%20px)%20(10)-1.png --- [![Bombayworks logotype](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/wmt-logo_inverse.svg "Bombayworks logotype")](https://watchmethink.com/) - [What we do](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Watch Me Explore](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-explore) - [Watch Me Develop](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-develop) - [Watch Me Use](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-use) - [Watch Me Shop](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-shop) - [Who it's for](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Consumer Insights](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/consumer-insights) - [Shopper Insights](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/shopper-insights) - [Category Management](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/category-mangement) - [Innovation & Product Development](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/innovation) - [Sensory & Consumer Science](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/consumer-science) - [Packaging](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/packaging) - [Marketing](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/marketing) - [About](https://watchmethink.com/about) - [The 100 Blog](https://blog.watchmethink.com/) - [Contact](https://watchmethink.com/contact) - [Login](https://watchmethink.com/dashboard) - [Sign up](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Corporate users](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Request registration here](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Consumer](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) - [Get paid to review products](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) Menu # The100: Patterns that aren't, time well spent and the knights of Arundel - Home - [Blog](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog) - The100: Patterns that aren't, time well spent and the knights of Arundel - [Blog home /](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog) [Fran](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/author/fran) 09/04/2026 [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) [0 Comments](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-patterns-that-arent-time-well-spent-and-the-knights-of-arundel#postComment) 2 Minutes ## The leadership of sound bites It’s a strange old time in research and insights at the moment, eh? Transformations, restructures and efficiency drives are all rearing their ugly heads. The good folk over at the MRS, AURA and IMA have been chatting to insight leaders on their experiences and what the next generation of insight professionals can do to remain indispensable. [As Nicky Roch writes up](https://www.research-live.com/article/opinion/what-18-displaced-insight-leaders-can-teach-us-about-the-professions-future/id/5150986): *“Underpinning many of these cuts, the respondents were largely agreed, was a leadership belief that data, dashboards, AI outputs and automated analytics would fill the gap left by human intelligence. Almost universally, they believe that bet will not pay off. One put it with admirable directness: We're in this very interesting shift in leadership. It’s the leadership of sound bites. It’s the leadership of not going deep. It’s the leadership of just needing something quickly. And right now, people feel they can hack it, and they don't need us.”*   ## Habits of the mind Apophenia is the human tendency to see a pattern where none exists. Smiley faces in clouds. Lucky jerseys. The theory that rocks are actually soft and squishy, they just tense up when we touch them. (Prove me wrong 😉) All of which matters rather a lot when the day job involves sifting through consumer behaviour. Usefully, Moresapien have a good [explainer on the bias and how to manage it:](https://moresapien.org/apophenia/) *“When you perceive a pattern, the instinct is to look for more evidence that supports it. The more useful approach is to look for evidence that would disprove it. If the pattern survives an honest attempt to falsify it, it is more likely to be real. If you can only support it by cherry-picking examples, it is probably apophenia.”*   ## Would you like a dossier with that? When Reece Rogers requested a copy of his data from McDonald’s loyalty programme [he received a 515-page file on himself.](https://www.wired.com/story/mcdonalds-built-a-515-page-dossier-on-me-it-says-ill-never-leave/) *“The company predicted how often I would visit in the next six weeks (2.16 times), what I would spend on average ($13.49), and what I would spend in total ($29.15) \[...\] Beyond the numbers, McDonald’s also tracked a large Diet Coke as my favorite item to repeatedly purchase. It labeled my core purchasing habits as getting a “Food-Led Afternoon Snack” or an “On the Go Lunch in a Rush.” \[...\] Notably, the report also listed my “attrition” score as zero.”* The qual lover in me would love to know how much ‘why’ gets served with that.   ## Is it worth the time? Before you spend an afternoon automating a five minute job, have a ganders at xkcd’s [‘Is It Worth the Time?’ chart.](https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1205:_Is_It_Worth_the_Time%3F) It’s a rule of thumb for judging whether you’re spending more time optimising the task than the total time saved. *“if you do some task every week once, and you are able to save 1 minute of time by doing some preparatory work (e.g. build or buy a tool), you can spend 4 hours doing this preparatory work, and you will, across five-years time, come even. Any less time spent doing the preparatory work, and you will profit from it.”*   ## And finally… [The True Size](https://thetruesize.com/) lets you drag and drop countries to compare their true relative size. Despite looking the same size on a map, Brazil is nearly five times larger than Alaska. Ol’ Mercator has a lot to answer for. Bored with your regular exercise routine? How about training for [an International Medieval Jousting Tournament](https://www.huckmag.com/article/chivalry-isnt-dead-modern-jousting-arundel-the-obsessives) instead? A guide to [spotting the British upper class,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK6w6MzMDhk) 1986 edition. Uuuuoh-kaaay.   Bon weekend, *Fran*   --- #### Tag: [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) #### Share: - [Follow us on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-patterns-that-arent-time-well-spent-and-the-knights-of-arundel) - [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-patterns-that-arent-time-well-spent-and-the-knights-of-arundel&text=The100:%20Patterns%20that%20aren't,%20time%20well%20spent%20and%20the%20knights%20of%20Arundel) - [Follow us on Linkedin](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-patterns-that-arent-time-well-spent-and-the-knights-of-arundel) - [Follow us on Pinterest](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-patterns-that-arent-time-well-spent-and-the-knights-of-arundel&text=The100:%20Patterns%20that%20arent,%20time%20well%20spent%20and%20the%20knights%20of%20Arundeldescription=The%20leadership%20of%20sound%20bites%20It’s%20a%20strange%20old%20time%20in%20research%20and%20insights%20at%20the%20moment,%20eh?%20Transformations,%20restructures%20and%20efficiency%20drives%20are%20all[...]&media=https://3461170.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/3461170/The100%20Banners%20%281920%20x%201080%20px%29%20%2810%29-1.png) --- --- ## From the archives If you like The100, maybe even found it vaguely enjoyable (steady now), you can have a ganders at our previous issues. 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[The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) 16 October, 2026 #### [The100: Holier than thou, the death of the host and Andorran traffic lights](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-holier-than-thou-the-death-of-the-host-and-andorran-traffic-lights) Holier than thou Richard Shotton and MichaelAaron Flicker always make for a marvellous meeting of… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-holier-than-thou-the-death-of-the-host-and-andorran-traffic-lights) [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) 02 October, 2026 #### [The100: Fredkin’s Paradox, how to stop having ideas and the perfect circle](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-fredkins-paradox-how-to-stop-having-ideas-and-the-perfect-circle) Apply liberally to decision paralysis Russell Davies has completely rearranged the furniture of my… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-fredkins-paradox-how-to-stop-having-ideas-and-the-perfect-circle) [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) 18 September, 2026 #### [The100: Dyson’s toothbrush, funhouse mirrors and aerodynamic nose blowing](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-dysons-toothbrush-funhouse-mirrors-and-aerodynamic-nose-blowing) Dyson drops anchor Watching Richard Shotton and Rory Sutherland in a round of idea ping-pong is an… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-dysons-toothbrush-funhouse-mirrors-and-aerodynamic-nose-blowing) - Get started - [Login](https://watchmethink.com/account/login) - [Sign up: Corporate User](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Sign up: Consumer](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) - Resources - [Terms for Thinkers](https://watchmethink.com/terms) - [Terms for Adhoc Work](https://watchmethink.com/terms-for-adhoc-work) - [Terms for Subscriptions](https://watchmethink.com/terms-for-subscriptions) - [Terms for Agents](https://watchmethink.com/agent) - About - [Contact us](https://watchmethink.com/contact) - [About us](https://watchmethink.com/about) - [Blog](https://blog.watchmethink.com/) - [Privacy policy](https://watchmethink.com/privacy) - [Equality, diversity and labour standards](https://watchmethink.com/equality-diversity-labour-standards) - Social - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/watch-me-think) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/watchmethink) ![cyber-essentials-plus](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/cyber-essentials-plus.png?width=96&name=cyber-essentials-plus.png "cyber-essentials-plus") ![mrs-logo-cps](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/mrs-logo-cps.png?width=216&name=mrs-logo-cps.png "mrs-logo-cps") ![watch](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/watch.png?width=213&name=watch.png "watch") Watch Me Think © 2026. 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