Experimenting methodically
Stop researching your problem to death and start trying different things
Today I’ll be describing a methodical way to experiment and iterate your way to success. I’ll use my own career journey as an example to describe my framework, which can also be used for sales and marketing, to identify what channel works best for you. I’ll also share some news from the legal world this week. But first, a quick word from our “sponsors.”1
Experiment your way to success
Experimentation is incredibly powerful. It can be used to solve a wide range of problems involving uncertainty. Today I’ll share how to experiment methodically, using examples from my own career. I’ll then touch upon how this framework can be used in other contexts.
Before I get into it, I want to share some context about why it’s so relevant to the legal industry. Most lawyers believe that it’s better to research and prepare before acting, i.e. “measure twice, cut once.” This makes sense for law work because often the answers are knowable. It also might be a product of formal schooling, where there’s always a right answer, and over-preparing pays off.
In uncertain environments, it’s far less effective. You could spend a ton of time and energy preparing for an initiative that ends up being a huge mistake. Often it’s because the environment is constantly shifting, and your “solution” relies on mistaken assumptions.
The cleanest example is a common career problem. Let’s say you spent your entire life preparing to be a lawyer but realize it’s not the right career path for you. How do you choose what to do next? Most lawyers approach this problem by doing what feels natural. Like researching career paths, looking up job openings, and having coffee chats with people. It pains me to say it, but this is the wrong approach.
So what should you do instead?