More from 2014, more form Eugene Kim, more that is still relevant 8 years later. Go figure. (And I am down to 100 drafts from the blog draft archives. FYI, I am deleting straight out about 30% as I go either due to bad links or unremarkable content. About another 30% are simple repointers, like this one. And the rest I’m either saving or reworking. The experiment, haha, continues!)
What does this mean for groups that are working on anything complex and are trying to learn?
First, be intentional, but hold it lightly. Know what it is you’re trying to learn or understand, and be open to something else happening entirely. Measure something. Be thoughtful about what you measure and why.
Second, be accountable. Track your learning progress. Review and build on previous results. Be transparent about how you’re doing. Don’t use “experiments” as a proxy for doing whatever you want regardless of outcome.
Third, be humble. Despite your best efforts, you may not be able to conclude anything from your experiments. Or, you might draw “convincing” conclusions you might validate again and again, only to discover that you are totally, entirely wrong.