As I dig deeper into the world of nuts, I am reminded of the research process from my previous job as an investment analyst. There, when I needed to learn about a new topic from scratch, my research process followed this general sequence:
- Google around and read a bunch about the topic. Try to create a simple framework for how things work in that space.
- Get on the phone with several different people who know the space very well. The initial research should have generated a list of questions to ask these experts.
- Review. The phone calls typically illuminate several crucial dynamics I wasn’t even aware of. These calls generate questions I didn’t know to ask.
- Go back and research the new questions/dynamics on my own. At this stage, potentially start to develop the first version of the thesis/model/analysis/prototype.
- Run through another wave of calls and put forth the thesis/model/analysis/prototype to the experts for feedback.
I had 3 calls with people in the packaging/CPG world this week. Those 3 hours were immensely more educational than if I had spent 3 hours googling around. For example, who knew I had to nitrogen flush the individual nut bags?!?
Reminder to self: speaking with experts speeds up the learning curve dramatically at the beginning of the research process.
Noah's (Life) Ark 