Make Ideas Unforgettable: Six Models to Memorable, Action-Driven Messaging In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath unpack why some ideas survive while others vanish. The difference isn’t luck – it’s structure. They outline six core traits (models) of sticky ideas: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Stories – forming the SUCCESs Framework. This isn’t just […]
Mental Models: The SUCCESs Framework (Made to Stick!) Read More »
Most projects fail. It’s not always because the idea is flawed or the people are wrong – but because the thinking is. Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner, authors of How Big Things Get Done (Financial Times’ 2023 Business Book of the Year), spent decades studying why major projects crash – and what the outliers got right.
Multi-Models: Getting Big Projects Done Read More »
In The Inner Game of Tennis, W. Timothy Gallwey introduces a mentality – or mental models – that has transformed how athletes, musicians, entrepreneurs – even CEOs – approach performance. Despite its title, the book has less to do with tennis and more to do with the quiet conflict unfolding in your own head. Gallwey argues
Mental Model: The Tennis Two-Selves Read More »
Picture a tightrope walker, teetering but never tumbling. Each sway corrects the last, finding stability through constant adjustment. That’s the concept behind the mental model known as equilibrium. Equilibrium is a silent force that keeps systems steady. It’s the state where opposing forces cancel out, creating balance. From economics to ecosystems, chemistry to cognition, equilibrium
Mental Model: Equilibrium Read More »
The Dip: Quit Smart, Win Big. The Dip is a mental model that refers to the tough stretch that precedes early wins along the journey to achieving meaning goals – when progress slows, motivation fades, and most people begin to lose faith. This is the moment doubt creeps in. Most people quit here – long
Mental Model: The Dip & When to Quit Read More »
As Wharton Professor Philip Tetlock explains in Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction, accurate forecasting follows a disciplined process. IT begins by priortiziing the right questions (Triage), breaking them into small estimates (Fermi Method), and anchoring judgments in historical base rates (outside view) before refining them with case-specific details (inside view). Superforecasters express uncertainty
Multi-Models: Forecasting Read More »
According to Adam Grant’s best-selling book, Originals, true disruptors (successful entrepreneurs, artists, creatives, etc.) don’t fit the myth of being reckless risk-takers. Instead, they challenge norms while hedging their bets. Society and self-help books like to glorify visionaries like Steve Jobs for dropping out of school, or the other legendary tales of those who sacrificed
Mental Model: Creative Disruptors – the Right Stuff Read More »
Margin of Safety is a universal mental model that extends beyond engineering. It is the buffer between what we can handle and what we actually face in life – whether in decision-making, health, career choices, or relationships. It’s about creating space – or a margin of safety – to absorb the unexpected, ensuring stability even
Mental Model: Margin of Safety Read More »
Inversion is a mental model that turns problem-solving on its head. Instead of asking, “How do I achieve this goal?” it dares you to instead ask, “What could cause failure?” This shift in perspective doesn’t just refine your thinking – it exposes blind spots and unlocks solutions often missed in forward-focused approaches. By working backwards
Mental Model: Inversion Read More »
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci Occam’s Razor is a timeless principle in logic and problem-solving. It’s primary aim is to emphasize simplicity. This mental model encourages us to favor explanations with the fewest assumptions when analyzing phenomena or solving problems. Originally articulated by William of Ockham, a 14th century philosopher, the
Mental Model: Occam’s Razor Read More »
