There is much talk about how to do a thing, what to do, and what may be the best way to do it. Yet, before any of these questions comes another: when should one stop preparing and begin? For Think School co-founder Sridharan, the answer lies in knowing when research has served its purpose.
Research, he argues, is necessary; but it can also become a refuge. There is always another report to read, another book to open, another view to consider. If left unchecked, the search for certainty can keep an idea from ever reaching the public.
Sridharan made the point in a LinkedIn post, where he wrote: тАЬOne thing I keep reminding my team of is that we will reach a point where we’ve read enough, researched enough or learnt enough.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs just the nature of the work we do,тАЭ he added.
His observation comes from the work of studying companies, industries and ideas. There is seldom a moment when all questions have been answered. A new source may offer another perspective; another piece of research may suggest a change.
тАЬThatтАЩs not a bad thing,тАЭ Sridharan wrote. тАЬIn fact, I think itтАЩs one of the reasons weтАЩve been able to consistently improve our work over time.тАЭ
The difficulty, however, is deciding when enough is enough.
BETWEEN CURIOSITY AND JUDGEMENT
For Sridharan, the answer is not to abandon research, but to recognise its limits. At some point, an idea must leave the desk and meet its audience.
тАЬThe challenge is knowing when youтАЩve learnt enough to stop researching and start publishing,тАЭ he wrote.
He then points to what he sees as one of the greater obstacles to execution: perfectionism.
тАЬPerfectionism kills potential in ways you canтАЩt even imagine,тАЭ he wrote. An idea may continue to be discussed, altered and refined, yet remain unseen. The remedy, in his view, is to allow the work to be tested by those for whom it was intended.
тАЬAt some point, you have to trust the work youтАЩve done, put it out into the world and let real feedback do what endless internal discussions never can.тАЭ
This, he says, is where curiosity must meet judgement. Curiosity asks what more can be known; judgement decides when enough is known to act.
Sridharan also cautions against waiting for an idea to become perfect before allowing others to see it. тАЬDonтАЩt hold back a good idea because youтАЩre waiting for the perfect version,тАЭ he wrote.
There is, he suggests, a useful discomfort in publishing something before every doubt has disappeared. That discomfort may be part of the process itself.
тАЬIf putting your work out feels slightly uncomfortable, thatтАЩs a sign that youтАЩre growing.тАЭ
His conclusion is brief, and perhaps deliberately so: тАЬSo just ship it!тАЭ
– Ends
