Things I’m figuring out

There is a useful space between knowing nothing and having an answer. It is where the interesting questions tend to live.

A smaller question

When an idea feels too large, it helps to find the smallest question inside it. What could be tried in an afternoon? What would make the next step a little clearer?

A small experiment gives a question somewhere to go.

Leave a trail

A few notes can preserve the part that is easy to forget: the first assumption, the surprising result, the approach that almost worked.

1. Write down the question.
2. Try one thing at a time.
3. Keep the unexpected result.
4. Choose the next small step.

Progress can look like a better question.

Still in progress

An unfinished idea is not necessarily a failed one. Sometimes it simply needs a little more time, a different angle, or a good night’s sleep.