Independence At Pilot Research
A Less Philosophical, More Practical Approach
Industry Analysts And Independence
I know I’m not alone in my belief that being an analyst in the technology world means being rigorously independent. But what does being independent mean?
Of course, there are many different interpretations and definitions of what it means to be independent, and we could venture down a fun, philosophical conversation. I’m not sure how valuable that would be though. My interest is in a practical, shareable and disclosable perspective that gives a starting point from which people can then make up their own minds.
A Simple Starting Point
Independence in my view is having no financial incentive that could influence my work that is undisclosed. Beyond that definition it is up to others to decide whether what I’ve written, presented or talked about is independent or not.
I’m making four commitments to back up my view:
Pilot Research will maintain an “Independence” page on its website which discloses any technology company shares / stocks, options or related financial instruments held or directly controlled by either the company or its employees.
All content produced under contract and published directly by Pilot Research will be explicitly marked to indicate it is paid for.
For content produced discussing event attendance (vendor or otherwise) where travel and other expenses have been reimbursed by a technology company will be specifically highlighted in that content.
Finally, all paid for software (including software received for free that would usually be paid for) used by Pilot Research and its employees for the purposes of conducting its business will be listed.
I am sure this list will evolve and I welcome any comments or suggestions you might have about how it could be improved.
The next time you’re reading or listening to analyst content it might be worth thinking about how they define independence and disclose information.
