Weekly Mix #198 - Discussions, The First 18 Months, Network Effects & What We Don't Know

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Weekly Mix #198 - Discussions, The First 18 Months, Network Effects & What We Don't Know

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Happy Monday!

This week, I thought a lot about our inability to have nuanced discussions.

It's often because we don't know enough, or don't want to hear conflicting information.

This quote is a good summary:

“People prefer their sources of information to be highly correlated. Then all the messages you get are consistent with each other and you’re comfortable."

— Daniel Kahneman

(This quote was in the Farnam Street newsletter this week.)

The other problem was highlighted nicely by the podcast I've linked this week, featuring Adam Grant.​

He discussed the "binary bias," which is our tendency to view any issue as having only two sides.

We see it with polarization in politics, and we often see it with any controversial issue; you're either on one side or the other; completely in agreement, or completely against.

The cure to binary bias?

As soon as you hear about an issue with two sides, you should immediately picture a spectrum of beliefs instead. There aren't two sides, but a near-infinite number of points along the spectrum.

Agreeing to discuss things with this caveat up front can help lead to much more productive discussions.

The other thing? Ask up front: "What evidence would convince you that your opinion was wrong?"

If they don't have an answer, it's probably not worth having the discussion.

If they're willing to think about it, you've already opened the door to a much more rational discussion.

Have a wonderful week!

Graham

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Links

📖 The first 18 months of a startup - Suhail Doshi - An excellent list of learnings & things to do when building a startup. I think with a little tweaking, most of the lessons apply to any new project.

📖 Your Life is Driven by Network Effects - James Currier - This is a long piece, but particularly relevant as many of us have reassessed our lives during Covid. It runs through the different ways networks affect our lives, including major decision points.

📖 Solve for Joy - Deb Liu - An interesting follow-up to the article above, this short read outlines a different framework for making big life decisions.

🎧 Adam Grant on Farnam Street - This conversation included the "binary bias" I mentioned in this week's intro, and touched on a number of interesting topics, like even those who ask for feedback don't act on it, and how to counter this resistance to change.

Tweets​​

​The abyss of what we don't know from Natalie Fratto​

​Fascinating charts & diagrams (look at replies)​

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