Research

What is it about doing research on a new topic that is so interesting that I want to get out my claws and deep dive into the minutiae of the data? What is it about learning something new that just gets my creative juices flowing to where I need to learn everything? Is that the perfectionism shining through or just someone who is attuned to the minutiae of the detail and loves to understand everything?

Today we were meeting with a new prospective relationship. It was great and I was finally happy about being included in the details. So much so that I read every piece of information out there I could find on the company. Then on their e-commerce software solution, the different licenses, what each offers, how it works, etc. Then I went and researched their NPM (Network Performance Monitoring)tool to see what that was and then how it works. And let's not forget the whole research into the Web Analyzing trend tool, how it works, etc. Oh boy, did I mention that I even delved into who the partners were and how many big box clients they had? I even asked who is responsible for the licensing relationship with the third parties at the meeting, what a great question (or at least I believed it was)! LOL

I think it stems back to when I was in school, I always loved the term papers that resulted in tons of encyclopedia research, rewriting, analyzing and then finalizing the paper. Does it stem back into how I just want to learn more and more and more and I just can't stop myself? When will enough be enough? How deep is too deep to delve into a project and understand the subject matter before a meeting? I surely do not know the boundaries as I always worry about what the next question might be and I've learned to anticipate who knows what! I think that also goes back to my "former" boss who always asked so many questions in the beginning when I started working for him that I sort of learned to try to anticipate what he would question next, making me thorough in my approach. I think its a good way to be, but is it obsessive and to the extreme?

How do you research these potential situations and do you deep-dive into them headfirst with gusto?

Thanks for listening...