Fail like a scientist
Author: Anne-Laure Le Cunff
Source: https://nesslabs.com/fail-like-a-scientist
Summary
Following the principle of the scientific method, failing like a scientist will help you further in achieving your goals, along with The science of deliberate practice
Takeaways
“I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work.”
Thomas Edison
- Employ the scientific method:
- Scientific experiments are not designed to succeed. They are designed to explore a question, and potentially increase knowledge of a problem.
- Regardless of the outcome of the experiment, the findings will feed the learning wheel by helping refine—and sometimes eliminate—the original hypothesis.
- Failing like a scientist is also about continuously challenging your assumptions instead of blindly following a linear path to a specific goal.
- Do not stick to a goal. If it no longer serves a purpose, accept the failure and completely eliminate the hypothesis
- Have a growth mindset -- focus on progress over success
- Uncertainty is a positive sign that you are learning and growing
- Implement the following principles:
- replace imitation with exploration - step-by-step playbooks may work sometimes, but true breakthroughs never happen through pure imitation.
- ask good questions - ask not only the whys and what ifs, but the hows
- build a learning loop - learn from feedback and improve your initial model
- celebrate progress over success - take time to celebrate the small wins
- block time for reflection