How to Build the Insight Edge with Vivek Banerji

More information doesn’t automatically lead to better insights, and the relationship between data and insight is nonlinear. Vivek Banerji, Author & Founder, Insight Dojo, joins host Niels Schillewaert, Head of Research, Conveo.ai, to unpack why organizations often conflate insight with information and stay “data rich but insights poor.” They discuss what leaders and insights teams miss most often: clearly defining the real problem, acknowledging uncertainty, and avoiding the trap of confirming leadership hypotheses. Vivek shares a case where ethnographic work with doctors overturned a plausible assumption and helped drive a 40% sales increase through a clearer mechanism story. The conversation also explores the “pragmatic polymath” mindset, micro-mastery for skill building, and how AI works best when paired with real-world experience, judgment, and human-centered thinking.00:00 Polymathic Teaser00:20 Podcast Welcome01:26 Data Rich Insights Poor03:09 Insight vs Information05:07 Building the Insight Edge08:35 Has Insight Improved10:52 What Counts as Insight12:28 Ethnography Case Study19:08 Pragmatic Polymath23:46 Cultivating Polymath Skills27:11 AI and Human Judgment29:53 Career Habits for Insight31:49 Wrap Up and SubscribeInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/