---
id: "quote-cannot-create-time"
type: "quote"
source_timestamps: ["¶6"]
tags: ["marketing-strategy", "preparedness"]
related: ["action-build-exploration-playbook"]
speaker: "Guneet Kaur Nagpal and Amrita Mitra"
speakers: ["Guneet Kaur Nagpal", "Amrita Mitra"]
quote: "You cannot create time when selling something complex, but you must be ready when unexpected time appears."
sources: ["commercial"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-commercial"
originDay: 5
articleStem: "hbr-foci-66-customers-willing-try-new-tech"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/11/research-when-are-customers-willing-to-try-a-new-technology"
sourceTitle: "Research: When Are Customers Willing to Try a New Technology?"
---
# The Marketer's Role in Time

> "You cannot create time when selling something complex, but you must be ready when unexpected time appears."
> — [[entity-guneet-kaur-nagpal|Guneet Kaur Nagpal]] and [[entity-amrita-mitra|Amrita Mitra]]

Defines the *passive-yet-prepared* stance marketers must take toward consumer time: you cannot force [[concept-mental-bandwidth|bandwidth]], so you must exploit it instantly when [[concept-found-time|found time]] appears. This is the mandate behind [[action-build-exploration-playbook|building an exploration playbook]] and behind the open problem in [[question-predicting-found-time]].