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Bias for Action
Leadership / Advice
When in doubt, do something. Inaction is a choice too, and usually the worse one.
The Idea
Many decisions are reversible. For those, speed matters more than perfection. Act, learn, adjust.
When to Apply
- The decision is reversible (two-way door).
- You have enough information to be roughly right.
- The cost of delay is higher than the cost of being wrong.
- Analysis paralysis is setting in.
When NOT to Apply
- The decision is irreversible or very expensive to reverse.
- You're missing critical information that's easy to get.
- Moving fast means ignoring people who should be consulted.
In Practice
- Set a deadline for decisions. "We'll decide by Thursday with whatever we know."
- Make small bets instead of big commitments.
- Run experiments instead of debating hypotheticals.
- "Let's try it for two weeks" is a powerful phrase.
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