Have you ever made a decision that seemed perfect at first, only to find it backfiring spectacularly later? We’ve all been there. This is where second-order thinking comes in. It’s a powerful mental model that encourages us to look beyond the immediate consequences of our actions and decisions. Instead of just asking, “What will happen […]

In his book Clear Thinking, Shane Parrish emphasizes the importance of managing our instinctual reactions to maintain clear thinking and focus on our goals. He identifies four key biological defaults—emotion, ego, social, and inertia—that can lead to unforced errors if not consciously controlled. These instincts, beneficial for our ancestors’ survival, can now trigger counterproductive responses […]

In their book Decisive, Chip and Dan Heath offer a framework for making better decisions called The WRAP Process. “To make better choices,” write the brothers, “we must avoid the most common decision-making biases.” While awareness of biases and irrationalities isn’t sufficient to avoid them, we can use The WRAP process to help us make […]

In 2002, Stewart Butterfield conceived ideas for a massively multiplayer online video game. But without the funds to make his dream a reality, he and his colleagues focused on building a side project that would later become a full-time gig. [1]  Seven years later, with the proper financial backing in place, Butterfield realized his vision […]