Each and every week the Square Holes team are deep in the bowels of a number of projects, working to mine all of the insights that we can to help grow businesses and support thriving cities.

These insights are used by businesses and organisations to innovate their offerings, move into new markets, track their impact and hone their products and output. Each week we will be sharing a broad insight that we have learnt for you to use in your own work.

Let us know what you find valuable!

Jason: In it for the long haul 

A future-focused vision can feel counterintuitive when the pressure is on to simply ride out the now. But as Warren Buffett often notes, the most successful businesses Berkshire Hathaway invests in aren’t chasing fast growth. They achieve stable, compounding returns over long periods—offering products or services that tick along steadily, resilient even in turbulent times.

Much of the research we conduct involves in-depth interviews with key stakeholders across government and commercial sectors. It’s something I’ve been immersed in lately. A consistent theme that emerges is the importance of long-term thinking—visions that extend 10 years or more.

This can be hard to sustain in a world dominated by short election cycles, quarterly business reporting, and rapid technological and economic change. Yet the work that truly drives progress tends to happen below the surface, underground —quietly, collaboratively, and with a long view. Maintaining strong, trusted relationships and ensuring complex long-term strategies are both clearly articulated and actively executed is critical.

It’s not always visible work—but it’s what builds lasting impact.

Dylan: Learn your lessons

Lessons learned are one of the most valuable (yet often underutilised) tools in project management and output delivery. Reflecting on past projects provides critical insights that can enhance decision-making and drive continuous improvement. By identifying what worked well and what didn’t, teams can adapt their approaches, avoid repeating mistakes, and replicate successful practices. A consistent commitment to reflection, capturing lessons throughout the project, storing them effectively, and applying them meaningfully, enables stronger project execution over time.

Mahalia: It starts underground

Want to learn about innovation? Look to the underground. Underground operations are usually the result of need not being met by the mainstream. These groups usually have less money and less support – so are forced to be inventive in how they create solutions. So the next time your business feels stuck in a rut – head underground.

Think your business or organisation could do with some insights? Contact us here.