Think like a Scientist

I spent the weekend reading 'Think Again' by Adam Grant. Organizational psychology has always fascinated me, and I always find books that analyze social behaviours probably more intriguing than I should - both from a perspective of reviewing the way I approach situations personally, and how I can use any learnings in a professional capacity. A few key themes stood out from this:

One line that resonated with me was “being wrong is the only way I feel sure I’ve learned anything”. There’s real value in admitting to being wrong. Whether that’s finding Product Market Fit in a startup, learning that the problem you’re solving is not the original problem you were seeking to solve (and adapting extremely quickly), or in a personal context where disagreements can either strengthen a relationship or damage it depending on the approach taken by both parties.

Jeff Bezos said “People who are right a lot listen a lot, and they change their mind a lot - if you don’t change your mind frequently, you’re going to be wrong a lot”. This is a very challenging concept, as in the professional world we all have a layer of imposter syndrome and ego. Admitting to being wrong feels like it comes with a risk of exposure to the fragility that lies beneath the ego. In the context of sales and finding PMF, the difference between going out of business and achieving that tipping point of scale is listening to customers’ demands, changing your mind where appropriate, and admitting to being wrong based on ever-changing hypotheses. In fact, any professional leadership role has a variety of decision-making crossroads which require questioning options, making judgment calls, reviewing the judgment calls, and hoping for learnings and greater wisdom over time to make more effective judgment calls. It’s non-linear, and there will never be a point where listening and being open to changing your mind based on information at hand isn’t necessary.

Reading this book reminded me of the value of “thinking like a scientist” in all contexts of everyday life. The value of being humble in the face of new information and when reviewing progress, and always looking at what can be improved. Listen, admit you might be wrong and see if adaptation is needed. In the art of B2B sales, and in building a startup - Truly listen to the real problems that prospects have, and refine the proposition and approach accordingly.

Think like a scientist.