Escape the Research Rabbit Hole: How to Stop Planning and Start Doing

You know the feeling. You have a new project, a business idea, or even just a big decision to make. You open a browser tab to do a little research, and suddenly it’s hours later. You have twenty tabs open, a notebook full of contradictory advice, and you feel more confused than when you started.

Welcome to the research rabbit hole. It’s a place where information gathering feels like productive work, but in reality, it’s often a barrier to a more important step: taking action. On the podcast, we got real about why we get trapped in this cycle and how to break free.

Falling into the trap of endless research isn’t a character flaw; it’s a common response to the pressures of wanting to succeed. Moving from planning to doing requires a shift in mindset, from seeking perfection to embracing progress.

Why We Get Sucked Into the Research Vortex

Before you can plug the time drain, you have to understand the psychology behind it. As Korede pointed out in our conversation, there are a few key reasons we choose to stay in the “learning” phase.

It often starts with a fear of failure. We believe that if we can just gather one more piece of information, we can guarantee a perfect outcome. We keep digging, hoping to find a secret map that eliminates all risk from the journey. This is closely tied to perfectionism, the belief that we can’t start until we know everything and have the perfect plan in place.

Then there’s the illusion of progress. Korede called this “false productivity,” and it’s one of the most insidious traps.

“Sometimes I tend to think that because I'm researching, I'm actually working, but that's not the reality.” — Korede

Researching feels like you’re moving the needle, but if it never translates into execution, you’re just spinning your wheels. The internet’s algorithms compound the problem, feeding you an endless stream of content that makes you feel like you’re learning, when you may just be stuck in an echo chamber of information you don’t even need.

This is when you hit a wall of frustration, overwhelm, and analysis paralysis. The goal that once felt close now seems hopelessly far away, and motivation plummets. You’ve become so bogged down by the details that you’ve lost sight of the destination.

From Overload to Action: Practical Ways to Break Free

Getting out of the research rabbit hole isn’t about abandoning research altogether; it’s about making it work for you, not against you. The consensus from our chat was clear: you need a system to turn information into action.

First, take a page from Tosin’s playbook and get clear on your desired outcome. When he was migrating his company’s ERP system, he didn’t research every feature of every platform. He made a list of the four or five essential things he needed the new system to do. This turned his research from a passive exploration into a targeted mission. Instead of letting the internet tell you what you need, you stay in control by looking for specific answers to specific questions.

Korede shared the four-part framework he uses to keep himself moving forward:

• Set a hard research limit. Give yourself a non-negotiable deadline, whether it’s two hours or two days. When the time is up, you work with the information you have.
• Follow the 70% rule. You don’t need to know 100% of the details to get started. If you have a general grasp—say, 70% of the picture—that is more than enough to take the first step.
• Adopt a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) model. The goal is not to launch a perfect, final version on day one. The goal is to launch something. Get your idea out into the world. You’ll be amazed how much you learn once you’re actually in motion.
• Create a feedback loop. Starting is what allows you to get feedback from the real world—your customers, your audience, your results. You can then take that feedback, implement it, and improve. That’s how you build momentum.

Allen summed it up perfectly. It’s not about getting it right the first time; it’s about staying in the game.

“It's not about perfect execution. It's about consistent motion at the end of the day. You got to just keep pushing and keep moving and keep building. That's the only way.” — Allen

Success isn’t born from perfect plans. It’s forged through trial, error, feedback, and relentless iteration. You can’t get that feedback until you start.

So, what are you waiting for? That podcast you want to start, that business you want to launch, that skill you want to learn—you probably know enough to take the very next step. Close the extra tabs. Take the step. The rest you can figure out along the way.

For the full conversation, complete with more personal stories and laughs, watch the full episode on YouTube. And for more honest insights on business and life beyond the grind, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.