# Tapping into the right minds Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-02-25 Category: TECHNOLOGY Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/technology Meta Title: Navigating the Information Overload: How to Make Decisions Meta Description: Discover how the abundance of data and noise in the digital world is affecting decision-making processes and how accessing expert insights can give you a URL: https://financedigest.com/tapping-into-the-right-mindshtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/untitled-design-13-1736838554539-compressed.jpg) _By **David Holden-White,** co-founder and managing director, techspert.io_ The world is awash with information. Analyst house IDC estimated that more than 59 zettabytes of data would be created, captured, copied and consumed in 2020, and that the amount of data created over the next three years will be more than what was created in the past 30. The boom in consumer technology and the rapid improvement in mobile connectivity has meant that the [48% of the globe](https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/how-many-phones-are-in-the-world) that owns a smartphone has near instant access to all the digitised, publicly available information in the world in their pocket. **A world overloaded by information** It’s no surprise that people talk of information overload, or how much it [impacts productivity](https://www.financedigest.com/impact-com-announces-new-product-functionality-for-b2b-saas-through-partnership-with-hubspot.html "impact.com announces new product functionality for B2B SaaS through partnership with HubSpot"). It’s not new either. [A 2012 study](https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/the-social-economy) from McKinsey & Co highlighted that nearly a fifth of professionals’ time was spent searching for and gathering information, half of the time they spent undertaking role-specific tasks. This is only likely to have increased as we’ve become more dependent on [digital tools and services](https://www.financedigest.com/how-digital-identity-verification-will-revolutionize-security-defenses-in-the-financial-services-industry.html "How Digital Identity Verification Will Revolutionize Security Defenses in the Financial Services Industry"). On top of that is the realisation that, thanks to [social media](https://www.financedigest.com/yoono-discuss-the-importance-of-social-media-checks.html "Yoono discuss The Importance of Social Media Checks"), we’re living in a time when anyone can be an influencer or thought leader if they shout loud enough. It doesn’t matter whether you’re pushing trainers or [cloud computing](https://www.financedigest.com/the-future-of-cloud-computing.html "The Future of Cloud Computing"), whether your audience is a broad spectrum of consumers or a niche group of B2B buyers; the tools and resources are pretty much freely available to build a profile and push your message out there. The result is that it’s becoming increasingly hard to find the [value amongst vast and accelerating volumes of online data](https://www.financedigest.com/three-ways-data-unlocks-business-value-for-financial-organisations.html "Three Ways Data Unlocks Business Value for Financial Organisations ") and noise, and to use that data to make accurate, effective decisions. This is something we need to be able to do. We’re all expected to work faster, to make better decisions more quickly. The pandemic showed that certain [changes don’t need](https://www.financedigest.com/a-mindset-change-is-needed-in-the-financial-services-industry.html "A mindset change is needed in the financial services industry") five committees, two working groups and a proof of concept to take place before decisions can be rubber stamped. At the same time, no matter what [industry you work](https://www.financedigest.com/making-sure-you-are-compliant-when-working-in-the-finance-industry.html "Making Sure You Are Compliant When Working in the Finance Industry") in, there will be competitors who are more agile, more flexible, and seem to be much better at making decisions and capitalising on opportunities. Yet those decisions still [need to be backed](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-new-investor-backs-bt-says-fibre-jv-may-not-be-needed-source.html "Exclusive-New investor backs BT, says fibre JV may not be needed – source") by evidence, by irrefutable knowledge. What’s more, there’s only so much [data can give](https://www.financedigest.com/german-bond-yields-give-up-rise-after-u-s-price-data.html "German bond yields give up rise after U.S. price data") us. We need the insights stored in the minds of true experts, with lived experiences of the particular problems, [markets and technologies](https://www.financedigest.com/medical-device-technologies-market-expectations-and-growth-trends-highlighted-until-2028.html "Medical Device Technologies Market Expectations and Growth Trends Highlighted Until 2028") in question. In accessing this, we can [develop a decision-making edge in businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/exit-bee-hires-neil-stewart-as-business-development-director-as-its-client-roster-grows.html "Exit Bee hires Neil Stewart as Business Development Director as its client roster grows") that competitors don’t have, that can be used to drive entrance into new markets, or for winning investment decisions. **[Limiting risk](https://www.financedigest.com/omicron-poses-very-high-risk-but-data-on-severity-limited.html "Omicron poses ‘very high’ risk but data on severity limited") in investment decisions** As we all know, investments are inherently risk-related, so, anyone making such a decision will do all they can to minimise their risk exposure, especially in [volatile post-covid markets](https://www.financedigest.com/puma-confirms-full-year-outlook-flags-market-volatility.html "Puma confirms full-year outlook, flags market volatility"). ![David Holden-White](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/david-holden-whiteportrait-scaled-e1614260120305-1736838554839-compressed.jpg) David Holden-White To do that requires being able to identify, consume and process information quickly. Investment opportunities, particularly in [industries with significant growth](https://www.financedigest.com/dry-molasses-products-market-overview-in-depth-analysis-of-market-size-growth-industry-overview-2022-2029-2.html "Dry Molasses Products Market Overview In-depth Analysis of Market Size, Growth, Industry Overview 2022-2029") capacity, come around quickly and get snapped up fast. Those decisions will incorporate analysing and drawing [insights from raw data](https://www.financedigest.com/marine-big-data-market-to-expand-at-cagr-of-21-5-during-forecast-period-tmr-insights.html "Marine Big Data Market to Expand at CAGR of 21.5% During Forecast Period – TMR Insights"), using publicly available and analyst-produced information. But there is also an opportunity to draw on human insights, from leading experts in relevant fields, to get a sense of the story that 0s and 1s can’t properly tell yet. Tapping into the right minds  is essential to informing investment decision-making in 2021. In an ever-growing haystack of information, the challenge is finding them quickly. Plus, once they are found, there’s a tendency to keep using them, or to use them as a gateway to others in their network. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this approach, it [leaves investors](https://www.financedigest.com/unilever-ceo-set-to-leave-after-gsk-debacle-arrival-of-activist-investor.html "Unilever CEO set to leave after GSK debacle, arrival of activist investor") exposed to a lack of diversity in thought that makes getting to an unbiased view of the world impossible. At the same time, casting their net wide and finding lots of experts is resource and time-intensive, at a [point when time](https://www.financedigest.com/finger-pointing-helps-no-one-it-is-time-for-retailers-energy-providers-and-government-to-band-together.html "Finger-pointing helps no one: it is time for retailers, energy providers and government to band together") is one commodity in short supply. So, what’s the solution? Ironically, given that the challenge is bringing the right human insight into the process, the answer could lie in technology, specifically [artificial intelligence](https://www.financedigest.com/types-of-artificial-intelligence.html "artificial intelligence") (AI). AI-powered [platforms can take a request for expertise and run searches through all available published and credible material to recommend the most appropriate experts](https://www.financedigest.com/fiat-republic-the-specialist-baas-platform-that-bridges-web3-and-banks-announces-the-appointment-of-two-industry-experts-as-non-executive-directors-to-the-board-of-its-dutch-subsidiary.html "Fiat Republic, the specialist BaaS platform that bridges web3 and banks, announces the appointment of two industry experts as Non-Executive Directors to the board of its Dutch subsidiary.") for the project in question. It’s true that there are already services that recommend experts, but they are heavily manual and therefore slow and imprecise. It’s also true, there are also both negative and positive connotations being attached to AI. No technology is without its flaws, and if investors were relying on the AI [platform itself to provide](https://www.financedigest.com/impact-com-acquires-pressboard-providing-publishers-with-a-best-in-class-platform-for-branded-content-as-digital-advertising-is-deprioritised.html "impact.com acquires Pressboard, providing publishers with a best-in-class platform for branded content as digital advertising is deprioritised") expertise then there would be cause for concern. Services that provide access to the experts themselves, however, are providing a fast [way through the noise and data](https://www.financedigest.com/four-ways-data-and-ai-can-transform-financial-services.html "Four ways data and AI can transform Financial Services") – it’s a car to the destination, not the destination itself. Once investors and experts are connected, the [former has access to the relevant insight the latter holds in their heads](https://www.financedigest.com/mg-appoints-former-head-of-axa-investment-managers-andrea-rossi-as-new-ceo.html "M&G appoints former head of AXA Investment Managers Andrea Rossi as new CEO"). What AI has done is rapidly scan through millions of people of talent to highlight the relevant knowledge holders with pin-point accuracy. **Using technology to highlight the best human knowledge** Using an AI [technology platform to find the most relevant human is a way of taking a resource-consuming process and finding what’s needed](https://www.financedigest.com/cfos-need-to-embrace-todays-technology-for-tomorrows-success.html "CFOs need to embrace today’s technology for tomorrow’s success ") in a thousandth of the time. In that way, investors can get fast access to the human insight they need to make the best decisions,  allowing them to capitalise on opportunities and not miss the next big [growth](https://www.financedigest.com/prefabricated-building-system-markets-advanced-research-growth-opportunities-in-global-industry-by-2025-edited-by-leading-research-firm.html "Prefabricated Building System Market’s advanced Research & Growth Opportunities in Global Industry by 2025 Edited by Leading Research Firm") opportunity. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---