Connecting insight with delivery cycles. The missing link.
People don’t know what they want until you show it to them
– Steve Jobs
Agile delivery without user insight?
That’s like running fast in a random direction. And now run with the speed of AI!
User insight without delivery?
That’s writing a map no one ever uses.
The real challenge isn’t just running Agile well.
It’s fitting all types of insight into the rhythm of quarterly cycles.
Here’s the tension:
Insight cycles rarely match sprint cadences.
Quarterly planning locks in goals, but insight doesn’t arrive on schedule.
Teams either skip it to “hit the plan” or run it off to the side, losing connection with delivery.
And the anti-pattern to avoid?
The Steve Jobs effect: Misusing his quote (“People don’t know what they want…”) as an excuse to skip research.
Jobs didn’t ignore users. He obsessed over their behaviour, pain points, and context.
Vision without insight is still guesswork.
An important question for you in 2026
How does insight flow through your organisation, from research and opportunity to roadmaps and actions?
