
We all don't know what we are doing - cyberomin
http://cyberomin.github.io/startup/2015/12/07/nobody-knows-what-they-are-doing.html
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jrapdx3
This is of course true, though not a new idea. Bret Victor said "the most
dangerous thought you can have as a creative person is to think you know what
you're doing."[0]

Moreover when we are convinced we know what we're doing, it's a sure sign we
don't have a clue. After a few decades of practice I realized that in fact I
_didn 't_ know what I was doing, and turns out that's the key to success.

[0] [http://worrydream.com/dbx/](http://worrydream.com/dbx/)

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flashman
I often wonder whether my parents felt the same way raising me that I do
raising my children: just winging it for the most part, trying to figure out
how to be a good parent from any available resource, and projecting an aura of
infallibility and reassurance.

You have to step up and own your ignorance if you ever want to move past it.

~~~
Spoom
As someone who will soon be a new parent, how important do you think this
"aura of infallibility" is? Obviously you want to reassure your kid whenever
possible, but do they need to think that you're essentially always right? What
if you discover that you weren't?

~~~
throwaway_gfsd
Don't over think things.

Be kind and gentle. Don't be their best friend -- do be their best teacher.

If they discover you weren't right, then apologise to them just as you would
in any other situation where you are wrong. What they learn off you is how to
be a human, not how to be right 100% of the time.

[At the start, they only need cuddles, feeds and cleaning anyway so you have
time to learn as you go]

Father of 3 preschoolers speaking. I'm sure there's more to come.

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gluggymug
That is such an unhelpful mantra to keep repeating. It's phrased negatively
and offers no enlightenment other than acknowledgement of your ignorance.

People qualify as worthy leaders by showing wisdom. Plenty of stuff is not
super original (Facebook wasn't the first social network). Prior experience is
a great teacher.

Good leaders make plans and manage their risks. Even if they are moving into a
new field, they can draw on the skills and experiences of others. Then they
prioritise what's important and allocate resources based off that.

As the plans get executed, they monitor progress and adapt accordingly.

There are always uncertainties. If they eventuate, the impact can be good or
bad. Planning ahead means assessing the likelihoods and making appropriate
contingencies.

Just acting confident is not showing leadership.

~~~
hellameta
Absolutely. You can know ultimately that you don't know what you're doing, but
still be pretty sure of your heuristic and draw from skills and experiences
(as you say). People do not follow and are not inspired by those that will
openly claim they have no idea what they are doing. This is a hindsight thing.

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marcusgarvey
True indeed. Other observations:

-I wonder how they are dealing with the motorbike ban. Seems like quite the obstacle in a city like Lagos.

-I am fascinated by how other countries seem to be importing Black Friday from the U.S. to their shores. The U.K. is doing it too, I understand. I get the retailers' motivations, but I hope these societies never find themselves in the position of America's extreme affinity for it. To me it's a sad spectacle.

~~~
cyberomin
Hey marcusgarvey, People have quite adjusted to the motorbike ban, we have
tricycles now covering short distances. You can always use a taxi or join a
public bus for longer routes.

~~~
marcusgarvey
Thanks for that insight!

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threatofrain
I think it's better to have some weighted account of what you know and don't
know then to assume that any process, framework, theory, or person can't be
relied on for signal.

Daring to have an opinion and daring to be wrong can be just as much of an
exploratory process; that, and it sounds less anxious.

A lot of people say "nobody knows anything!" and leave it at that. It's more
often used as an anti-intellectual tool, or a license to say whatever you want
since you've just established that everyone in the room is ignorant.

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chrishenn
Good ol' Socrates :)

This resonates with me very strongly. But it seems all too easy to extend this
sentiment towards others and remind them that they don't know what they're
doing, which creates a pretty toxic environment.

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uptownfunk
How do you be a leader in a situation where it's your first time doing a
startup and "we all don't know what we are doing"?

~~~
auvrw
> How do you be a leader

focus less on the lead/follow(or get out of the way) dichotomy and more on how
to add value? think less of commanding troops in a battle against competitors
or market forces, and envision yourself more like a bridge between your team
and your customers.

in today's environment (as far as i can tell; haven't thought a/b it that
much, really), the relationship with customers is about the only thing most
startups "own". so you'll want to present yourself as someone who's going to
go to bat for the people around you no matter what happens, especially the
unexpected, and i thought the story about motorcycles being banned was a
really good example of this.

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coolied
Tools don't mean shit. It's what you do with the tool that matters. The
quality is in your idea and story, not the tool.

