I don't think this is true for all R&D. Or even most? I often start working in a new area that I can begin with a subset of options, then need some larger very

I don't think this is true for all R&D. Or even most? I often start working in a new area that I can begin with a subset of options, then need some larger very complete set of info to get complete coverage. Filling in all those tables takes a lot of time. Having someone help do that, or ideally just do it all, vastly increases my cadence. It does require someone who can understand and deliver clear objectives. And then wrangle lots of messy info from messy and random sources into a clear standardized form, so it's immediately usable. Another area, is someone to put a new tool through a lot of sanity checks. This takes someone with some creativity, to come up with lots of interesting oddball toy problems, and ensure the new tools work smoothly for every crazy idea. Fast and prompt ad hoc testing can jumpstart an unusually thorough test suite (as well as catch problems very early). I personally run out of steam a bit when it comes to testing all corner cases. When ever I run out of steam on some repetitive or exhaustive task, it is a good time for some secondary help. I expect there are many such high time cost, repeatable, semi-regular tasks. You still need good worker fit. As with any valuable work, we each should spend our time where our hours are most valuable. A tendency to do it all, may mask a poor ability to organize, communicate and delegate (or just a poor budget for getting help).