WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.380 All right. 2 00:00:09.380 --> 00:00:10.380 Welcome in. 3 00:00:10.380 --> 00:00:11.380 Welcome in. 4 00:00:11.380 --> 00:00:12.380 Happy Wednesday, everyone. 5 00:00:12.380 --> 00:00:13.380 Glad you're here joining us. 6 00:00:13.380 --> 00:00:14.380 All right. 7 00:00:14.380 --> 00:00:27.380 We're going to give just a few moments for folks to connect to audio and to join the 8 00:00:27.380 --> 00:00:28.380 call. 9 00:00:28.380 --> 00:00:32.220 It's so good to see all of you here. 10 00:00:32.220 --> 00:00:36.660 Welcome to the EDGE Leader Training, and you know what day it is. 11 00:00:36.660 --> 00:00:37.660 It's Wednesday. 12 00:00:37.660 --> 00:00:43.060 So as you know, we like to hear about weekly wins, so you can share with us in the chat 13 00:00:43.060 --> 00:00:49.300 what your weekly win is, or tell us which training from previous weeks you're finding 14 00:00:49.300 --> 00:00:52.820 particularly helpful or freeing this week. 15 00:00:52.820 --> 00:01:00.840 For me, Kaizen hit me in a new way from last week's training, and I've been Kaizening everything. 16 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:05.740 Because as you hear these things multiple times, they get you in a new way. 17 00:01:05.740 --> 00:01:10.100 You hear them at a different level, and they have a refreshing to it. 18 00:01:10.100 --> 00:01:14.180 And Dion, did you want to share yours now, or do you want to wait a few minutes for folks 19 00:01:14.180 --> 00:01:16.620 to come in a little bit more? 20 00:01:16.620 --> 00:01:18.420 Oh, on the keybook? 21 00:01:18.420 --> 00:01:19.420 Yes. 22 00:01:19.420 --> 00:01:20.420 Yeah. 23 00:01:20.420 --> 00:01:24.420 If we can do it now, that'll be fine. 24 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:26.300 It's good to see everybody. 25 00:01:26.300 --> 00:01:31.860 So yeah, I had a cue book moment this morning that I thought would be fun to share. 26 00:01:31.860 --> 00:01:39.780 So as I'm putting all this together, as you know, I have my cue books that go back 20 27 00:01:39.780 --> 00:01:44.140 something years, but I thought I would just grab this group. 28 00:01:44.140 --> 00:01:48.260 So this is going back the last 10 years on my cue book system. 29 00:01:48.260 --> 00:01:52.380 I did a training, I couldn't remember when it was, but I did a training that I knew I'd 30 00:01:52.380 --> 00:01:55.700 done and I remembered what the notes looked like. 31 00:01:55.700 --> 00:01:58.580 And so within 10 minutes, I found what it is. 32 00:01:58.580 --> 00:02:03.700 But I forgot to share with you guys a key, a trick, a Kaizening moment. 33 00:02:03.700 --> 00:02:09.740 Make sure the front of your cue book has that in it, a start date and an end date. 34 00:02:09.740 --> 00:02:12.300 It doesn't have to be to the exact day, but the month and year. 35 00:02:12.300 --> 00:02:15.900 And the reason is when you're looking for stuff quickly, especially if your cue books 36 00:02:15.940 --> 00:02:18.460 get out of order, that's the way you order them. 37 00:02:18.460 --> 00:02:20.340 So I have them from recent down. 38 00:02:20.340 --> 00:02:22.660 Of course, yes, my current one, that's separate. 39 00:02:22.660 --> 00:02:23.860 They all look exactly the same. 40 00:02:23.860 --> 00:02:26.020 I don't know if you know, I buy them from the same place. 41 00:02:26.020 --> 00:02:27.460 They have my name on them. 42 00:02:27.460 --> 00:02:32.260 But this cue book, I found that thing I was looking for within about 10 minutes. 43 00:02:32.260 --> 00:02:34.500 Here's the most amazing thing, though. 44 00:02:34.500 --> 00:02:40.420 I noticed that all these continual improvements, this Kaizening that I've been doing over the 45 00:02:40.420 --> 00:02:45.220 period of 20 something years, I went back and looked at some of my much older ones, 46 00:02:45.300 --> 00:02:47.140 in the early 2000s. 47 00:02:47.140 --> 00:02:49.540 I was writing on both sides of the page. 48 00:02:49.540 --> 00:02:51.300 I didn't have that neat structure. 49 00:02:51.300 --> 00:02:53.620 And so my mind couldn't map it. 50 00:02:54.260 --> 00:02:59.300 And it actually is very hard for me to find something from a page where sometimes the 51 00:02:59.300 --> 00:03:00.740 two's on the left and the right. 52 00:03:00.740 --> 00:03:01.940 And I just wrote everywhere. 53 00:03:01.940 --> 00:03:04.180 And I don't know if I was trying to save paper or what. 54 00:03:04.180 --> 00:03:07.620 But when I did it that way, the whole thing was upside down. 55 00:03:08.260 --> 00:03:14.340 So just to encourage you that if you keep strictly to it, the idea that cue sits at 56 00:03:14.340 --> 00:03:20.020 the top and gives you that cognitive control and underneath you can put all your middleware 57 00:03:20.020 --> 00:03:23.300 stuff, whether you're using Notion or Slack or whatever. 58 00:03:23.300 --> 00:03:28.100 And at the bottom, all your digital assets, your actual physical files and your filing 59 00:03:28.100 --> 00:03:32.740 system, digital filing system where you keep whether it's Dropbox or Google or whatever 60 00:03:32.740 --> 00:03:34.580 it is you do at the bottom of the stack. 61 00:03:34.580 --> 00:03:39.460 But right at the top, you need something that your brain will trust and map to. 62 00:03:39.460 --> 00:03:44.100 And I knew exactly where on the page it was, but I couldn't even remember which year it 63 00:03:44.100 --> 00:03:44.420 was. 64 00:03:44.420 --> 00:03:46.100 And I found it really quickly. 65 00:03:46.820 --> 00:03:50.900 And in fact, I built it into next week's training because I wanted to add that in. 66 00:03:50.900 --> 00:03:53.860 So anyway, I thought that was a fun moment. 67 00:03:53.860 --> 00:03:56.580 So I think this one goes back to let's have a quick look. 68 00:03:57.380 --> 00:03:57.700 Yeah. 69 00:03:57.700 --> 00:04:00.100 So this goes back to 2009. 70 00:04:00.100 --> 00:04:01.780 So that's the batch. 71 00:04:04.020 --> 00:04:05.940 Anyway, I just thought it was a helpful. 72 00:04:05.940 --> 00:04:08.980 I forgot to tell you to put the dates when you finish a cue book. 73 00:04:09.460 --> 00:04:11.940 So you can find them quickly and keep them ordered. 74 00:04:13.620 --> 00:04:14.180 That's huge. 75 00:04:15.540 --> 00:04:15.780 Yeah. 76 00:04:16.740 --> 00:04:16.980 Yeah. 77 00:04:16.980 --> 00:04:19.140 Because great ideas don't have a sell-by date. 78 00:04:20.820 --> 00:04:21.300 That's right. 79 00:04:22.900 --> 00:04:23.460 That's right. 80 00:04:24.180 --> 00:04:25.860 Well, thanks for sharing that with us. 81 00:04:27.540 --> 00:04:32.740 Obviously, you can't write the date range in it until you use the cue book, but you can 82 00:04:32.740 --> 00:04:36.820 write your start date and then your end date once you transfer over. 83 00:04:38.260 --> 00:04:38.820 All right. 84 00:04:39.460 --> 00:04:41.860 Well, it looks like everyone is logged on. 85 00:04:41.860 --> 00:04:48.340 So just take a moment to say hello to Addie and Bonnie, Cindy, Bridget, Teresa. 86 00:04:48.980 --> 00:04:51.220 Hi, Joe, Leanne. 87 00:04:51.220 --> 00:04:52.580 It's good to see you all here. 88 00:04:53.620 --> 00:04:59.300 We are talking about if you just jumped on, we were just sharing what. 89 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:03.040 what training we have found especially helpful this week 90 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:06.620 and Dion shared what he got for the Q book. 91 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:11.220 All right, we're gonna go ahead and get started. 92 00:05:11.220 --> 00:05:13.660 So as you guys know, last week, 93 00:05:13.660 --> 00:05:18.440 we talked about Kaizen as a way of life and work. 94 00:05:18.440 --> 00:05:23.280 And the core idea of Kaizen is daily micro improvements 95 00:05:23.280 --> 00:05:26.780 that will lead to compounded growth over time 96 00:05:26.780 --> 00:05:30.260 to produce dramatic improvements. 97 00:05:30.260 --> 00:05:32.380 And why you Kaizen is because 98 00:05:32.380 --> 00:05:34.940 it makes improvements effortless, 99 00:05:34.940 --> 00:05:38.620 it creates a lifestyle that serves you better every day 100 00:05:38.620 --> 00:05:40.220 and it feels like free change. 101 00:05:40.220 --> 00:05:42.220 So it puts change in the background 102 00:05:42.220 --> 00:05:45.860 yet things keep getting better as you go. 103 00:05:45.860 --> 00:05:50.140 So today we're talking about making things less dumb. 104 00:05:50.980 --> 00:05:55.680 This teaching is based on Elon Musk's approach at SpaceX 105 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:57.680 and it's designed to empower teams 106 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:02.680 to stop optimizing things that should not even exist. 107 00:06:02.700 --> 00:06:05.160 This is gonna be a fun topic and once you learn it, 108 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:06.840 you're gonna apply it to everything. 109 00:06:06.840 --> 00:06:08.560 You're gonna say, what can I make less dumb 110 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:10.800 or how can I make this less dumb? 111 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:12.680 So before we get into that fun topic, 112 00:06:12.680 --> 00:06:15.020 I'm gonna share today's pro tip. 113 00:06:16.080 --> 00:06:19.720 Just remember that slow learning is great learning. 114 00:06:19.720 --> 00:06:21.880 And so by implementing slow learning, 115 00:06:21.880 --> 00:06:24.920 especially as you have new team members 116 00:06:24.960 --> 00:06:27.760 or you and a team member are working together 117 00:06:27.760 --> 00:06:29.560 or you're learning something new, 118 00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:31.800 implementing slow learning, 119 00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:36.080 you give your team time to digest change 120 00:06:36.080 --> 00:06:39.320 and to enjoy the process of growth and transformation. 121 00:06:40.280 --> 00:06:43.200 And then as a result, working patiently and methodically 122 00:06:43.200 --> 00:06:45.220 to see a cultural and personal change 123 00:06:45.220 --> 00:06:47.660 that empowers each team member 124 00:06:47.660 --> 00:06:51.960 will focus on real life change overhead learning, 125 00:06:51.960 --> 00:06:54.120 which is just taking in the information 126 00:06:54.120 --> 00:06:57.560 but never actually seeing that transformational change. 127 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:01.680 All right, is everyone ready to dive in? 128 00:07:02.640 --> 00:07:05.040 As a friendly reminder, as we're going along, 129 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:06.760 please add questions to the chat 130 00:07:06.760 --> 00:07:09.520 and Dion, I'm gonna hand it over to you now. 131 00:07:09.520 --> 00:07:11.560 Thanks, Jenny, I appreciate it. 132 00:07:11.560 --> 00:07:15.040 You know, as you're sitting thinking back here on week 36, 133 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:17.880 now, you know, you're being empowered 134 00:07:17.880 --> 00:07:19.960 with some of the most effective, 135 00:07:19.960 --> 00:07:23.920 powerful leadership techniques, 136 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:27.440 from habits to how to think, how to innovate, 137 00:07:27.440 --> 00:07:32.040 how to self-leadership, your own leadership in a team, 138 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:35.920 understanding economics, and we're gonna have a fun, 139 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:39.120 you know, we're gonna land this on a fun in week 39. 140 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:39.960 So if you know what, 141 00:07:39.960 --> 00:07:41.720 if you still wanna know what's coming next, 142 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:44.440 today we're gonna do making things less dumb. 143 00:07:44.440 --> 00:07:47.040 And this is actually a very sophisticated training 144 00:07:47.080 --> 00:07:50.000 and why we do it right at the end or towards the end 145 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:52.520 is because of what's involved. 146 00:07:52.520 --> 00:07:54.880 And I found a wonderful graphic 147 00:07:54.880 --> 00:07:58.440 from a company called modelthinkers.com 148 00:07:58.440 --> 00:08:00.280 and without their permission, 149 00:08:00.280 --> 00:08:02.440 I stole it and put it in your worksheet. 150 00:08:02.440 --> 00:08:05.880 So if anybody complains, please delete it. 151 00:08:05.880 --> 00:08:07.720 But here's what it is, 152 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:12.040 making things less dumb is a design system. 153 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:16.320 Now, when I explain this, do not be tempted to think, 154 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:18.640 oh, this is for engineering types. 155 00:08:18.640 --> 00:08:20.960 Oh, this is for people who produce products. 156 00:08:20.960 --> 00:08:24.520 This is for anything we do, any process that we do. 157 00:08:24.520 --> 00:08:28.760 And I wanna share five things to make things less dumb. 158 00:08:28.760 --> 00:08:29.600 But before I do, 159 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:31.520 I wanna tell one of my favorite stories about this. 160 00:08:31.520 --> 00:08:33.840 And I may have shared part of the story before, 161 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:36.559 but I remember that at Brilliant, 162 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:37.720 we were trying to think of 163 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:39.600 what was the next generation of our product. 164 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:41.919 And at that time we had Brilliant TV subscriptions 165 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:43.039 that were $20 a month. 166 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:45.280 And we were trying to think what was next. 167 00:08:45.280 --> 00:08:46.880 And then we had already introduced 168 00:08:46.880 --> 00:08:48.320 a lifetime membership option. 169 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:49.720 People loved that. 170 00:08:49.720 --> 00:08:53.160 And we ended up with about 2,500 lifetime members 171 00:08:53.160 --> 00:08:54.760 or whatever the total amount was at the end. 172 00:08:54.760 --> 00:08:56.280 It was pretty significant. 173 00:08:56.280 --> 00:08:58.080 And we loved the growth of that. 174 00:08:58.080 --> 00:08:58.920 And we were thinking, 175 00:08:58.920 --> 00:09:00.840 what's our next kind of premium product? 176 00:09:00.840 --> 00:09:02.640 And so I spent a lot of time 177 00:09:02.640 --> 00:09:05.200 and I did the high-level thing, 178 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:06.360 shaped it up sort of thing. 179 00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:10.760 And we'd sit time aside as a team to review it. 180 00:09:10.760 --> 00:09:13.440 And initially I was thinking we might do a six hats. 181 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:16.280 I wasn't sure what I wanted to see where the team was at, 182 00:09:16.280 --> 00:09:19.040 but we had just finished this training. 183 00:09:19.040 --> 00:09:19.880 We'd just done this, 184 00:09:19.880 --> 00:09:23.440 making things less dumb training a few weeks earlier. 185 00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:25.000 And so I get up and I present, 186 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:26.840 here's the, I think our new premium product 187 00:09:26.840 --> 00:09:28.120 and how it should be. 188 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:29.360 And for those of you know, 189 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:30.840 Danielle in our team, 190 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:32.480 who's head of customer service 191 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:35.120 and she's also a wiring expert. 192 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:36.440 She's pops up immediately. 193 00:09:36.440 --> 00:09:39.080 I'm about what, seven or 10 minutes into the talk 194 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:40.920 and she pops up and says, 195 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:44.040 that idea is really dumb. 196 00:09:44.040 --> 00:09:46.160 She says to the president of the company, 197 00:09:46.160 --> 00:09:47.240 I loved it. 198 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:48.680 I thought, man, to me, 199 00:09:48.680 --> 00:09:52.080 that was a milestone in our culture 200 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:55.120 that somebody who wasn't even directly involved in this, 201 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:55.960 but by the way, 202 00:09:55.960 --> 00:09:57.240 your customer service people 203 00:09:57.240 --> 00:09:59.760 are some of the best people to ask about products 204 00:09:59.760 --> 00:10:00.600 because they. 205 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:03.560 know they the ones who talk to the actual customers all day 206 00:10:03.560 --> 00:10:07.920 long. And so she explained why. And I had three levels and I had 207 00:10:07.920 --> 00:10:10.320 all this stuff and she simplified and for about 50 208 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.520 minutes, she just talked, the rest of the team took notes and 209 00:10:13.520 --> 00:10:17.240 we wrapped it up and the product that was launched was designed 210 00:10:17.480 --> 00:10:22.600 by Danielle. Now maybe initiated by me, but if it wasn't for this 211 00:10:22.600 --> 00:10:26.200 teaching, we would have probably launched a pretty dumb product 212 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:29.400 and gone through fail, you know, failures and, you know, false 213 00:10:29.400 --> 00:10:33.040 starts and so on. So if you're tired of that, if you're tired 214 00:10:33.040 --> 00:10:36.200 of the false starts and the learning and so on, you have to 215 00:10:36.200 --> 00:10:40.880 start with one massive assumption. Your perception of 216 00:10:40.880 --> 00:10:46.840 what the customer needs, and their requirements is wrong. The 217 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:51.600 only question is how wrong. Right? I know, Matt is busy 218 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:54.520 reinventing aspects of Brilliant TV right now it's going through 219 00:10:54.520 --> 00:10:57.840 next generation. And boy, are we finding out how wrong we are 220 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:00.080 on a whole bunch of things we've been doing. We've had 221 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:03.480 subscriptions since 2016. This is, you know, this is not our 222 00:11:03.480 --> 00:11:06.120 first rodeo. I think we're coming into whatever, what 223 00:11:06.120 --> 00:11:10.560 version of the app are we on now version nine? Right? Yeah, 10. 224 00:11:10.640 --> 00:11:12.880 Oh, so we're coming into version 10 of the app. So we've done 225 00:11:12.880 --> 00:11:17.120 this before and yet we still find how wrong we are. So here's 226 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:21.640 the thing I want to say to you. Step number one, make the 227 00:11:21.680 --> 00:11:26.480 requirements less dumb. The requirements are definitely 228 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:31.000 dumb. It is not it really doesn't matter how smart you 229 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:35.320 are, how many years experience you have, what a veteran in the 230 00:11:35.320 --> 00:11:39.240 industry you are. And it's particularly dangerous and 231 00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:42.000 particularly dumb when they come from a highly intelligent 232 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:45.600 person, or somebody who is a higher rank up the org chart 233 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:50.040 than you. And the reason for that is we tend not to question 234 00:11:50.280 --> 00:11:53.680 people who are above us in the structure. Or you know, this 235 00:11:53.680 --> 00:11:57.960 came from PhD so and so or from famous engineer so and so or 236 00:11:57.960 --> 00:12:04.120 from famous whoever, right. So the idea is everybody is wrong. 237 00:12:04.160 --> 00:12:06.600 It's just the extent that varies. And that sounds 238 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:10.080 desperately, you know, negative, but it really isn't. It's a very 239 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:14.600 mature view, because it makes you cautious not to take 240 00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:17.120 yourself too serious. Does everybody remember rule number 241 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:20.800 six? Do you remember the story of rule number six? No, shall 242 00:12:20.800 --> 00:12:25.120 remind you of rule number six, rule number six came from Ben 243 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:28.880 Zander, who was the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra 244 00:12:29.240 --> 00:12:33.000 conductor, and he told the story about, you know, the English, 245 00:12:33.040 --> 00:12:35.000 the British Prime Minister sitting there, and he has a 246 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:37.840 visiting Prime Minister, and while they're meeting, somebody 247 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:40.320 rushes in, and, you know, they're in a tizz, and they're 248 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:43.880 just going crazy. And, and the Prime Minister says, you know, 249 00:12:43.880 --> 00:12:46.280 my dear, sir, remember rule number six, and immediately 250 00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:50.160 they're just restored to real calm, they leave. And you know, 251 00:12:50.160 --> 00:12:53.000 as as stories go, it happens three times. So of course, it 252 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:55.880 goes three times and a lady comes in, she's all in. And he 253 00:12:55.880 --> 00:12:58.280 says, my dear lady, remember rule number six, and she's 254 00:12:58.280 --> 00:13:00.600 immediately restored to calm. And of course, the third time. 255 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:04.640 So finally, the visiting Prime Minister says, he said, you 256 00:13:04.640 --> 00:13:07.440 know, Mr. Prime Minister, would you mind sharing this rule 257 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:10.800 number six? Oh, he said, Sure, I would is don't take yourself so 258 00:13:10.800 --> 00:13:15.880 damn seriously. And so, and this rule number six, and he says, 259 00:13:15.880 --> 00:13:18.760 Well, that's fascinating. May I ask you what the other rules 260 00:13:18.760 --> 00:13:23.200 are? He says, No, there are no others. So rule number six is, 261 00:13:23.520 --> 00:13:26.360 and this is really a rule number six moment, because what it's 262 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:31.040 saying is, we want to serve our customers. But if we're willing 263 00:13:31.040 --> 00:13:34.720 to deeply challenge the assumptions, who is our 264 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:37.800 customer, you know, you know, what you can maybe have had 265 00:13:37.800 --> 00:13:41.800 training, like who's your who or focus on, you know, who got 266 00:13:41.800 --> 00:13:44.480 called you to whatever the thing is, who you feel passionate 267 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:48.360 about whatever your topic is, it has to come down to you 268 00:13:48.360 --> 00:13:53.200 knowing that you probably don't know. And that makes you look 269 00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:57.440 deeper, it makes you search deeper. So when you get a 270 00:13:57.440 --> 00:14:01.160 requirement, we need to go and build this. The first 271 00:14:01.160 --> 00:14:05.280 assumption is, there's probably something dumb in that, and my 272 00:14:05.280 --> 00:14:09.560 job is to find out what it is. And because when you constantly 273 00:14:09.560 --> 00:14:15.280 question your requirements, as recently as April, I'm up, we're 274 00:14:15.280 --> 00:14:19.520 applying this all the time, by the way, in April, you know, we 275 00:14:19.520 --> 00:14:23.920 were doing another round and Pedro a day and myself decided 276 00:14:23.920 --> 00:14:26.400 to do a five day challenge together for the edge. And we 277 00:14:26.400 --> 00:14:30.120 assumed that we would be able to do this program and offer this 278 00:14:30.120 --> 00:14:34.200 program through the challenge model. I didn't, I didn't 279 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:37.440 question that assumption one, he's done a lot of them. We've 280 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:41.240 done a brilliant over, I think 38 of them challenges, whatever 281 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:47.560 it is. And so we just assumed, notice the mistake, that this 282 00:14:47.560 --> 00:14:52.000 will work for this program. We, we had a we had 56 or whatever 283 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:55.680 company sign up and sign up for the challenge and not a single 284 00:14:55.680 --> 00:14:59.400 sale, not one, not even a fallout, not even an interest 285 00:14:59.400 --> 00:14:59.720 point. 286 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:02.640 because you can't sell a product like this 287 00:15:02.640 --> 00:15:04.480 through a challenge. 288 00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:07.520 And that blew me away. 289 00:15:07.520 --> 00:15:10.920 Now I've gone into it a lot more deeper and understand why. 290 00:15:10.920 --> 00:15:13.720 So anyway, I know Jenny, I asked you to tell us, 291 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:17.680 just tell us about some times when you found 292 00:15:17.680 --> 00:15:21.280 you had to constantly challenge your assumptions. 293 00:15:21.280 --> 00:15:22.960 Sure. 294 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:26.540 Just last week, Jalen and I were discussing the topic 295 00:15:26.540 --> 00:15:29.120 and I said, okay, let's challenge this assumption 296 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:32.880 just so you know, it is a daily thing that we implement. 297 00:15:32.880 --> 00:15:35.880 But there are two instances that stand out in my mind 298 00:15:35.880 --> 00:15:39.980 and one of them is a product evaluation model 299 00:15:39.980 --> 00:15:42.000 that we did here at Brilliant. 300 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:46.260 So what that was is Dion and I created a model 301 00:15:46.260 --> 00:15:49.640 to collect white hat data so that we could find out 302 00:15:49.640 --> 00:15:52.400 what product our customers were responding to. 303 00:15:52.400 --> 00:15:54.880 In our minds, what we were going, 304 00:15:54.880 --> 00:15:57.800 the assumption that we went into that project with 305 00:15:57.800 --> 00:16:01.920 was that digital media, digital product 306 00:16:01.920 --> 00:16:05.880 was where our sales were at most 307 00:16:05.880 --> 00:16:08.080 and what we needed to focus our time, 308 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:10.320 our attention and our resources on. 309 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:13.280 And when we created that model, 310 00:16:13.280 --> 00:16:16.800 it was astonishing to see what product 311 00:16:16.800 --> 00:16:18.900 our community actually responded to. 312 00:16:18.900 --> 00:16:21.820 Overwhelmingly so. 313 00:16:21.820 --> 00:16:25.060 The biggest assumption that we had 314 00:16:25.060 --> 00:16:27.520 was completely done away with. 315 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:29.520 The model showed that our customer base 316 00:16:29.520 --> 00:16:31.080 wanted physical product. 317 00:16:31.080 --> 00:16:34.040 In particular, they wanted physical books. 318 00:16:34.040 --> 00:16:35.720 Overwhelmingly so. 319 00:16:35.720 --> 00:16:39.040 And so that was one way that we did that 320 00:16:39.040 --> 00:16:40.780 and it completely turned around 321 00:16:40.780 --> 00:16:44.440 how we marketed our product. 322 00:16:44.440 --> 00:16:47.480 And then the second place that I can think of 323 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:49.160 that I really use this is, 324 00:16:49.160 --> 00:16:53.040 when I am inheriting a particular role 325 00:16:53.040 --> 00:16:54.920 or a task from someone, 326 00:16:55.920 --> 00:16:57.800 one of the very first things that I do 327 00:16:57.800 --> 00:16:59.080 are challenge the assumptions 328 00:16:59.080 --> 00:17:01.340 because we don't wanna stay stuck 329 00:17:01.340 --> 00:17:04.000 in a particular routine or outcome 330 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:05.760 just because it's what we've always done. 331 00:17:05.760 --> 00:17:07.760 That's one of, I think, the pitfalls 332 00:17:07.760 --> 00:17:09.240 is that you just do something 333 00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:11.079 because it's always been done that way. 334 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:15.599 And by taking that particular role or task 335 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:16.960 and looking at it as to, 336 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:19.480 okay, what assumption can I challenge 337 00:17:19.480 --> 00:17:21.720 or how can I make this less dumb, 338 00:17:21.720 --> 00:17:24.640 you find new ways to innovate that task or role 339 00:17:25.319 --> 00:17:27.359 and I don't wanna get ahead of you, Dion, 340 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:29.760 but also you can completely eliminate it. 341 00:17:29.760 --> 00:17:32.400 Is it really actually even necessary 342 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:34.360 or is it just something that we've done? 343 00:17:34.360 --> 00:17:37.040 I also do that when I'm handing something off to someone, 344 00:17:37.040 --> 00:17:39.200 I hand it off with the caveat 345 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:41.480 that because it's done this way, 346 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:43.800 you don't have to continue to do it this way. 347 00:17:43.800 --> 00:17:46.840 If you can automate it, if you can delete something, 348 00:17:46.840 --> 00:17:47.680 you do that. 349 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:50.400 It doesn't have to be done this way. 350 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:52.000 And so those are the biggest 351 00:17:52.040 --> 00:17:55.320 that I can think of examples off the top of my head 352 00:17:55.320 --> 00:17:56.560 that I've used. 353 00:17:56.560 --> 00:17:58.800 What I love about the first one, 354 00:17:58.800 --> 00:18:01.080 because I remember that analysis 355 00:18:01.080 --> 00:18:04.200 and it was in the context of our online store 356 00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:08.000 because we have about 103 products on our Shopify store. 357 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:12.200 And we assumed that people would like the digital books more 358 00:18:12.200 --> 00:18:13.960 because they can get them instantly, blah, blah. 359 00:18:13.960 --> 00:18:15.160 Now, here's the fun thing. 360 00:18:15.160 --> 00:18:16.440 After we did our white hair data, 361 00:18:16.440 --> 00:18:19.200 we have a new assumption that they want physical products, 362 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:20.400 but as young people come on 363 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:22.520 and find out they don't want physical products, 364 00:18:22.520 --> 00:18:24.200 they now want digital books. 365 00:18:24.200 --> 00:18:26.120 So it's a constant thing. 366 00:18:26.120 --> 00:18:27.920 So it's a wonderful thing. 367 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:31.560 In other words, you got to keep rule number six in mind. 368 00:18:31.560 --> 00:18:32.520 Keep it light. 369 00:18:33.800 --> 00:18:35.480 So this is what we understand today, 370 00:18:35.480 --> 00:18:38.320 but there's probably still things that are dumb. 371 00:18:38.320 --> 00:18:39.840 So just because we made one correction 372 00:18:39.840 --> 00:18:42.520 doesn't mean we have to make another one later on. 373 00:18:42.520 --> 00:18:45.280 So it keeps you in a very fresh place. 374 00:18:45.280 --> 00:18:48.680 Number two, try to delete part of the process. 375 00:18:48.680 --> 00:18:51.520 Now, notice we're not saying 376 00:18:51.520 --> 00:18:53.880 most of us do this in reverse, right? 377 00:18:53.880 --> 00:18:58.200 We find something and we get all the requirements. 378 00:18:58.200 --> 00:19:00.360 Then we try to simplify the requirements. 379 00:19:00.360 --> 00:19:01.760 Then we try to optimize them. 380 00:19:01.760 --> 00:19:03.520 Then we find out we don't need the whole thing 381 00:19:03.520 --> 00:19:04.440 and we delete it. 382 00:19:04.440 --> 00:19:06.200 All that work was for nothing. 383 00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:08.240 Or worse, we don't delete it 384 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:10.800 because we put so much work in it. 385 00:19:10.800 --> 00:19:12.560 Now we live with something 386 00:19:12.560 --> 00:19:14.520 that honestly shouldn't even exist. 387 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:18.960 So there are things in your organization right now 388 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:20.440 that shouldn't exist. 389 00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:23.640 There are things in your workflow that shouldn't exist, 390 00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:26.200 but you're so vested in them, right? 391 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:28.000 It's the way I do it. 392 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:30.480 It's the way I consume materials. 393 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:31.440 It's the way I work. 394 00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:32.360 It's the way I... 395 00:19:32.360 --> 00:19:33.960 And those things shouldn't exist. 396 00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:36.920 So before you go through all that complexity, 397 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:38.600 save yourself and just... 398 00:19:38.600 --> 00:19:41.000 It's like a pyramid of complexity. 399 00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:42.200 The pyramid grows. 400 00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:44.280 The further you go down, the bigger the pyramid. 401 00:19:45.040 --> 00:19:46.400 If you can delete it when it's a little pyramid, 402 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:48.120 you avoid all that expense, 403 00:19:48.120 --> 00:19:50.800 all that complexity and all that time. 404 00:19:50.800 --> 00:19:54.240 So there are definitely things in your organization, 405 00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:56.480 in your workflow that are dumb. 406 00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:59.080 And there are definitely things in your organization 407 00:19:59.080 --> 00:20:00.120 that shouldn't exist. 408 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:03.480 Now these two very, you can see why it takes us 409 00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:05.520 all these weeks of months of training. 410 00:20:05.520 --> 00:20:06.840 Cause if I had said that up front, 411 00:20:06.840 --> 00:20:08.460 they would have just got discouraged, 412 00:20:08.460 --> 00:20:10.980 but you've got a whole group of tools now 413 00:20:10.980 --> 00:20:13.480 to replace those things and to address those things. 414 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:17.840 So if parts, if you, in fact, at SpaceX, 415 00:20:17.840 --> 00:20:21.200 they are so encouraged to delete parts or parts 416 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:25.120 of a process so much so that if they must find themselves 417 00:20:25.120 --> 00:20:27.880 accidentally going, Oh dear, we cut too much out. 418 00:20:27.880 --> 00:20:29.960 We need to put something back. 419 00:20:29.960 --> 00:20:32.800 The rule of thumb is if they're not putting something back 420 00:20:32.800 --> 00:20:36.200 at least 10% of the time, at least, in other words, 421 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:38.520 sometimes it's 20% or even 30% of the time, 422 00:20:38.520 --> 00:20:40.640 they're putting stuff back that they shouldn't have deleted 423 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:43.080 cause they deleted too much. 424 00:20:43.080 --> 00:20:44.600 That's the rule. 425 00:20:44.600 --> 00:20:49.000 Rather err on deleting too much than too little. 426 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:51.560 So it, you know, and it's amazing. 427 00:20:51.560 --> 00:20:55.600 I know that when, when Gigafactory Berlin 428 00:20:55.600 --> 00:20:58.840 came online for Tesla, you know, 429 00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:01.560 it took much longer to build the factory 430 00:21:01.560 --> 00:21:02.560 through other reasons. 431 00:21:02.560 --> 00:21:04.480 But once the Germans got involved, 432 00:21:04.480 --> 00:21:07.640 suddenly they took something that had like 180 parts 433 00:21:07.640 --> 00:21:10.760 and turned it into two parts, much stronger, much lighter, 434 00:21:10.760 --> 00:21:12.040 much quicker to produce. 435 00:21:12.040 --> 00:21:16.840 They deleted the manufacturing of 90 something percent 436 00:21:16.840 --> 00:21:21.260 of the parts required for a model three. 437 00:21:21.260 --> 00:21:25.560 So in that idea is, it's this idea that if we can delete it 438 00:21:25.560 --> 00:21:28.180 before it gets complex and waste our time, 439 00:21:28.180 --> 00:21:33.100 that is an unbelievably sophisticated skill as a leader. 440 00:21:33.100 --> 00:21:36.180 It sounds simple, but it actually isn't. 441 00:21:36.180 --> 00:21:39.180 And that's why it's on the advanced side of this training. 442 00:21:39.180 --> 00:21:42.740 Number three, once you've made the requirements less dumb 443 00:21:42.740 --> 00:21:45.380 and number two, you've deleted parts of the process 444 00:21:45.380 --> 00:21:47.100 or you've deleted parts themselves, 445 00:21:47.100 --> 00:21:48.220 if it's something physical, 446 00:21:48.220 --> 00:21:50.720 or you've deleted aspects of the process, 447 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:53.220 then number three is to simplify. 448 00:21:53.220 --> 00:21:56.860 So the reason this is the third step is that, 449 00:21:56.860 --> 00:21:58.860 and not the first step obviously, 450 00:21:58.860 --> 00:22:01.540 is because the most common mistake 451 00:22:01.540 --> 00:22:04.700 that people who design a process or design products make, 452 00:22:04.700 --> 00:22:07.040 the number one mistake is to create something 453 00:22:07.040 --> 00:22:09.300 that shouldn't exist. 454 00:22:09.300 --> 00:22:13.420 So, it's amazing to me, 455 00:22:13.420 --> 00:22:16.540 we see this in the realm of finance. 456 00:22:16.540 --> 00:22:19.660 Warren Buffett calls it the institutional imperative, 457 00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:20.500 which is a long word, 458 00:22:20.500 --> 00:22:22.140 but basically what he means is this. 459 00:22:22.140 --> 00:22:23.480 So this is how this goes. 460 00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:26.420 So this literally exists in billion dollar companies 461 00:22:26.940 --> 00:22:30.420 and it exists in solopreneurs and everybody in between. 462 00:22:30.420 --> 00:22:31.980 This is a human thing. 463 00:22:31.980 --> 00:22:34.660 So you find, you think, wow, a company like, 464 00:22:34.660 --> 00:22:36.260 a big multi-billion dollar company, 465 00:22:36.260 --> 00:22:37.340 they've got it all sorted out. 466 00:22:37.340 --> 00:22:39.860 They do not have this sorted out. 467 00:22:39.860 --> 00:22:43.780 You literally watch a CEO say to their senior team, 468 00:22:43.780 --> 00:22:45.820 hey, I wanna acquire this company, 469 00:22:45.820 --> 00:22:47.540 we're gonna acquire this other company 470 00:22:47.540 --> 00:22:48.500 and we're gonna bring it in. 471 00:22:48.500 --> 00:22:51.420 By the way, 90% of companies that are acquired, 472 00:22:51.420 --> 00:22:54.620 those acquisitions rarely work. 473 00:22:54.620 --> 00:22:56.900 And mostly it's an ego thing anyway. 474 00:22:56.900 --> 00:22:58.940 You know, I mean, some acquisitions make sense, 475 00:22:58.940 --> 00:23:00.460 but mostly they don't. 476 00:23:00.460 --> 00:23:03.740 But anyway, the CEO says, I want this to work. 477 00:23:03.740 --> 00:23:06.820 What's happened here is a requirement was created 478 00:23:06.820 --> 00:23:08.380 that shouldn't exist. 479 00:23:08.380 --> 00:23:11.380 This whole acquisition, 480 00:23:11.380 --> 00:23:14.780 a multi-billion dollar acquisition should not occur, 481 00:23:14.780 --> 00:23:17.500 but because the CEOs mandated this 482 00:23:17.500 --> 00:23:19.540 and it wasn't, should we do it? 483 00:23:19.540 --> 00:23:22.340 It's tell me how to make it work. 484 00:23:22.340 --> 00:23:25.140 A good, strong leader would raise their hand and say, 485 00:23:25.140 --> 00:23:28.260 why are we acquiring this in the first place? 486 00:23:28.260 --> 00:23:29.380 Now that takes a lot of courage. 487 00:23:29.380 --> 00:23:32.100 You can see why this is a sophisticated leadership element 488 00:23:32.100 --> 00:23:33.860 because you gotta do that with grace 489 00:23:33.860 --> 00:23:36.460 and skill and sophistication. 490 00:23:36.460 --> 00:23:40.700 So, you know, for me, having one of our team members 491 00:23:40.700 --> 00:23:44.620 tell me my plan was done was for me a great milestone 492 00:23:44.620 --> 00:23:48.180 because there was no disrespect in the words. 493 00:23:48.180 --> 00:23:50.780 There was no tone that conveyed disrespect. 494 00:23:50.780 --> 00:23:54.940 It was genuinely looking for the best way to do this. 495 00:23:54.940 --> 00:23:58.260 So once we've simplified and optimized it, 496 00:23:58.260 --> 00:24:00.820 then we move to the next one, which is quite hard to do. 497 00:24:00.820 --> 00:24:04.180 And that's accelerate the cycle time. 498 00:24:04.180 --> 00:24:06.100 You're moving too slowly. 499 00:24:06.100 --> 00:24:08.340 Assume again, another big one, 500 00:24:08.340 --> 00:24:10.500 you can for sure you're moving too slowly. 501 00:24:10.500 --> 00:24:13.060 Whatever you're doing, you're doing it too slowly. 502 00:24:13.060 --> 00:24:14.820 And so go faster, 503 00:24:14.820 --> 00:24:18.060 but don't go faster until you've worked 504 00:24:18.060 --> 00:24:20.060 on the other three items. 505 00:24:20.060 --> 00:24:21.420 Because if you're digging your grave, 506 00:24:21.420 --> 00:24:23.060 you don't want to dig it quicker. 507 00:24:24.100 --> 00:24:27.100 So, you know, you want to work fast 508 00:24:27.100 --> 00:24:30.740 on something that should actually exist. 509 00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:34.300 So here's the thing about going faster. 510 00:24:34.300 --> 00:24:37.980 I think I misquoted one of space, 511 00:24:37.980 --> 00:24:39.900 this whole training comes from SpaceX. 512 00:24:39.900 --> 00:24:42.740 SpaceX, I mean, I think everybody by now 513 00:24:42.740 --> 00:24:43.660 has heard of Starship. 514 00:24:43.660 --> 00:24:45.660 I know there's ones been sitting on the launch pad 515 00:24:45.660 --> 00:24:47.340 waiting for final approval 516 00:24:47.340 --> 00:24:49.700 to take off the second time Starship, you know, 517 00:24:50.340 --> 00:24:52.460 which everybody know what I'm talking about Starship, right? 518 00:24:52.460 --> 00:24:54.740 This is the big mega thing that they're doing. 519 00:24:54.740 --> 00:24:59.740 And so it's Starship as Starship launches their plan. 520 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:05.520 iron is to build. Now, think of what how long it took NASA to 521 00:25:05.520 --> 00:25:08.400 build one. And by the way, that's the biggest payload ever, 522 00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:11.400 it can take 100 people, you can put the entire contents of a 523 00:25:11.400 --> 00:25:15.680 Boeing 747 inside of Starship. So it's massive. Now, if you 524 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:19.680 think about how long that would take, what would be a really 525 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:25.160 incredibly accelerated cycle time? Wow, if we can produce one 526 00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:29.040 of those, every two years, that would be like phenomenal, right? 527 00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:32.280 What about one, one a year? What about one a month? Okay, well, 528 00:25:32.280 --> 00:25:36.040 none of those applied there. They're set up to produce one 529 00:25:36.040 --> 00:25:37.040 per day. 530 00:25:39.240 --> 00:25:44.360 Build a Starship one per day. Now, here's the fascinating 531 00:25:44.360 --> 00:25:48.120 thing. I don't know if it's the Elon effect, or what it is. But 532 00:25:48.120 --> 00:25:52.560 that guy said such high goals for his team, which has got a 533 00:25:52.560 --> 00:25:56.240 huge compliment built in, but it owns those high goals. People 534 00:25:56.240 --> 00:26:00.720 always quote his high goals outside of this framework. It's 535 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:05.560 a, it's a dumb idea to go and produce a lot of stuff you don't 536 00:26:05.560 --> 00:26:09.840 need quickly. Stuff that shouldn't exist doesn't need a 537 00:26:09.840 --> 00:26:15.120 fast, accelerated cycle time. So you can see why this framework 538 00:26:15.120 --> 00:26:19.880 works. If you've questioned this, the requirements, you've 539 00:26:19.880 --> 00:26:23.040 deleted everything you can to the point you deleted too much 540 00:26:23.040 --> 00:26:26.240 and you had to put a little back, then use what was left, 541 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:29.960 you simplified and optimized. Now once you're at that point, 542 00:26:30.080 --> 00:26:33.680 then coming up with an accelerated, let's do this 543 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:37.240 faster and faster. And you can always do it a whole lot 544 00:26:37.240 --> 00:26:41.800 quicker. Now, their goal is once they start launches to the moon 545 00:26:41.800 --> 00:26:45.200 and ultimately to Mars, they want to do how many launches how 546 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:51.080 often? How about three per day? With 100 people in each? 547 00:26:53.480 --> 00:26:59.800 So you see, we all go, wow, that wow thing didn't, I tell you 548 00:26:59.800 --> 00:27:02.840 that didn't come out because he walked in one day and shouted 549 00:27:02.840 --> 00:27:06.440 at someone. That's not how that worked. It wasn't because as a 550 00:27:06.440 --> 00:27:09.760 leader, he just made an unreasonable demand. What 551 00:27:09.760 --> 00:27:13.760 happened is they worked up to that. And by the way, the real 552 00:27:13.760 --> 00:27:18.720 hero of that story is the president whose name, I've just 553 00:27:18.760 --> 00:27:23.520 forgotten her name for a second. Somebody can look it up. Anyway, 554 00:27:23.560 --> 00:27:26.600 she's I think she was the fourth employee at SpaceX. Anyway, 555 00:27:26.600 --> 00:27:30.880 she's the genius who runs that show, by the way. And I can tell 556 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:33.800 you they have gone through this process so many times deleted, 557 00:27:33.800 --> 00:27:38.080 deleted. I remember a particular interview, where an influencer 558 00:27:38.200 --> 00:27:42.400 was interviewing Elon at SpaceX at one of the rockets. And this 559 00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:44.560 person who's doing the interviewing is very, very 560 00:27:44.560 --> 00:27:48.200 knowledgeable about rockets, and asked him why this one 561 00:27:48.200 --> 00:27:52.240 component does that. And why is it in that mode or so big or 562 00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:55.080 whatever it was. And he started explaining and then he stopped 563 00:27:55.080 --> 00:27:58.080 and he says, we're doing it again. That part shouldn't 564 00:27:58.080 --> 00:28:02.040 exist. We will delete it. While an influencer now that's 565 00:28:02.040 --> 00:28:06.720 humility to admit that on YouTube with an influencer. I 566 00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:10.320 just thought there was a lot of humility. And then the last 567 00:28:10.320 --> 00:28:13.760 point now only we get to the point now that we've accelerated 568 00:28:13.760 --> 00:28:16.480 something that exists that we brought it down to that point. 569 00:28:16.600 --> 00:28:22.520 Now it's about automating. This is the last step. And we've all 570 00:28:22.520 --> 00:28:25.120 personally made the mistake of doing these things out of order 571 00:28:25.120 --> 00:28:30.320 or even backwards. But now you know, so, you know, in many 572 00:28:30.320 --> 00:28:35.640 times, you know, in an interview, I think it was with 573 00:28:35.640 --> 00:28:40.840 the guy runs TED Talks. Elon pointed out that the model three 574 00:28:41.160 --> 00:28:45.600 was the biggest mess Tesla ever created, because they did all 575 00:28:45.600 --> 00:28:49.640 these steps in reverse. They automated, then they simplified, 576 00:28:49.720 --> 00:28:52.520 then they realized they didn't need that part. So they deleted 577 00:28:52.520 --> 00:28:56.200 it. Think of the waste and things now you can say, well, 578 00:28:56.200 --> 00:28:59.360 that's how they learned. Sure enough, that is the learn, but 579 00:28:59.360 --> 00:29:03.280 you've got to put yourself in this mode. And so the so the 580 00:29:03.280 --> 00:29:06.400 worksheets, as you can see, I've got some really got a very 581 00:29:06.400 --> 00:29:12.080 beautiful graphic that I think I think we can drop it in here. 582 00:29:12.080 --> 00:29:17.920 Can I drop it straight in here? No, I can't. But anyway, it's in 583 00:29:17.920 --> 00:29:21.240 your worksheet, I'll put it in there for you. But making things 584 00:29:21.240 --> 00:29:29.040 less dumb questions. Okay, does that? Does that ring true for 585 00:29:29.040 --> 00:29:32.120 you? You know, when you're thinking about this, does this 586 00:29:32.360 --> 00:29:36.480 true for you that when you make the assumption that your 587 00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:39.400 requirements are probably dumb, or at least dumb to some degree, 588 00:29:39.400 --> 00:29:44.440 no matter how good you are, that that's a pretty smart way of 589 00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:48.840 thinking. And because it's going to cut out so many missteps. 590 00:29:49.160 --> 00:29:54.680 Secondly, that you are going to actively delete even over delete 591 00:29:54.840 --> 00:29:57.840 steps in the process or parts of the product or whatever the 592 00:29:57.840 --> 00:29:59.960 components are, to the point you might actually 593 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:01.080 to put some stuff back. 594 00:30:01.080 --> 00:30:03.340 Oop, we went a bit far, got too deep. 595 00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:06.520 And then simplify. 596 00:30:06.520 --> 00:30:07.720 Once you're at that point, 597 00:30:07.720 --> 00:30:10.920 then you simplify it even further and optimize 598 00:30:10.920 --> 00:30:13.160 because this thing now should exist. 599 00:30:13.160 --> 00:30:15.740 But the assumption that there are things, 600 00:30:15.740 --> 00:30:18.200 the fact is that they are not assumption. 601 00:30:18.200 --> 00:30:20.280 The fact is there are things that exist 602 00:30:20.280 --> 00:30:22.880 in your organization, in your products, 603 00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:27.040 in your workflow, in your processes that should not exist. 604 00:30:27.040 --> 00:30:28.520 Now, how cool would this be? 605 00:30:28.560 --> 00:30:29.920 Imagine if you could identify 606 00:30:29.920 --> 00:30:31.900 one of those things once a month. 607 00:30:33.760 --> 00:30:36.280 In a year, you will have removed 12 things 608 00:30:36.280 --> 00:30:38.680 out of your organization or your personal workflow 609 00:30:38.680 --> 00:30:42.380 or out of your professional career that shouldn't exist. 610 00:30:42.380 --> 00:30:45.240 How would that accelerate you in your career? 611 00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:47.280 How would that accelerate your business? 612 00:30:47.280 --> 00:30:52.280 How would that accelerate and improve the products? 613 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:55.160 And once you're there to then go and look for the, 614 00:30:55.440 --> 00:30:59.200 the super fastest accelerated cycle time. 615 00:31:00.280 --> 00:31:03.700 And it's interesting when you can turn these things around. 616 00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:09.560 I know that thin slicing is such a useful way 617 00:31:09.560 --> 00:31:11.240 to test the waters very quickly 618 00:31:11.240 --> 00:31:13.960 to go and find out all the dumb stuff, 619 00:31:13.960 --> 00:31:15.680 the dumb requirements. 620 00:31:15.680 --> 00:31:17.120 And then finally we automate. 621 00:31:17.120 --> 00:31:19.720 Because at that point, something that should exist 622 00:31:19.720 --> 00:31:22.160 that has been simplified, that has been optimized, 623 00:31:22.160 --> 00:31:25.240 that cycle time has been improved, now we optimize. 624 00:31:25.240 --> 00:31:26.400 I mean, automate, sorry. 625 00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:28.840 Now we automate, that makes sense. 626 00:31:28.840 --> 00:31:29.800 When you think about it, 627 00:31:29.800 --> 00:31:32.200 it's counterintuitive to start with, 628 00:31:32.200 --> 00:31:37.200 but you can tell there are billions and billions of dollars 629 00:31:37.440 --> 00:31:40.980 wasted figuring out that framework. 630 00:31:40.980 --> 00:31:44.120 You just got it free in 25 minutes. 631 00:31:47.360 --> 00:31:48.800 There you go. 632 00:31:48.800 --> 00:31:50.340 Questions, how are we doing? 633 00:31:51.340 --> 00:31:52.180 We're doing well. 634 00:31:52.180 --> 00:31:55.380 Gwen Shotwell is the president of SpaceX. 635 00:31:55.380 --> 00:31:56.220 Shotwell. 636 00:31:57.860 --> 00:31:59.220 Thank you. 637 00:31:59.220 --> 00:32:01.020 She's a genius leader, by the way. 638 00:32:03.420 --> 00:32:04.260 Robin. 639 00:32:05.620 --> 00:32:10.620 Yeah, I, we're over here in California. 640 00:32:11.180 --> 00:32:13.420 So we're having a good time, 641 00:32:13.420 --> 00:32:17.460 but I was looking at a couple of things. 642 00:32:17.460 --> 00:32:19.060 I'm thinking about our business 643 00:32:19.100 --> 00:32:21.460 and how to plug this in. 644 00:32:21.460 --> 00:32:24.540 Can we take an existing system 645 00:32:24.540 --> 00:32:28.020 and run this through what we've already been doing 646 00:32:28.020 --> 00:32:31.340 and just say, okay, we're just gonna assume 647 00:32:31.340 --> 00:32:34.660 that there's dumb things in what we've been doing 648 00:32:34.660 --> 00:32:36.540 and run this through all of our systems 649 00:32:36.540 --> 00:32:37.940 that we already have. 650 00:32:38.820 --> 00:32:43.820 And then does it have to always end with automation? 651 00:32:44.420 --> 00:32:48.940 In other words, some things may not be able to automate 652 00:32:49.180 --> 00:32:51.420 but is that like the last step 653 00:32:51.420 --> 00:32:54.220 or can we automate some of everything that we're doing? 654 00:32:54.220 --> 00:32:56.780 So I was just thinking it through 655 00:32:56.780 --> 00:32:59.220 how to apply it to NOAA and what we do. 656 00:33:00.220 --> 00:33:03.980 Yeah, that is a very insightful question, Robin, 657 00:33:03.980 --> 00:33:07.740 because firstly, going back 658 00:33:07.740 --> 00:33:10.300 and looking at existing products and processes 659 00:33:10.300 --> 00:33:12.420 and services that you have is a great idea. 660 00:33:12.420 --> 00:33:13.940 Absolutely should do that. 661 00:33:13.940 --> 00:33:15.260 Cause it's kind of like a fresh start, 662 00:33:15.260 --> 00:33:16.740 but now you've got a framework 663 00:33:16.740 --> 00:33:20.340 that's gonna foundationally challenge those elements. 664 00:33:20.340 --> 00:33:22.340 And even if the whole product should exist, 665 00:33:22.340 --> 00:33:23.740 should we even acquire the company? 666 00:33:23.740 --> 00:33:25.820 You know, that's the idea. 667 00:33:25.820 --> 00:33:28.300 Yes, it does always on some form of automation. 668 00:33:28.300 --> 00:33:30.500 Even if that automation is a playbook, 669 00:33:31.380 --> 00:33:33.060 it ends somewhere. 670 00:33:33.060 --> 00:33:38.060 It ends on some mechanism that has to be handed over. 671 00:33:39.100 --> 00:33:41.500 Even if the automation, some automations, 672 00:33:41.500 --> 00:33:43.740 somebody is gonna own that automation 673 00:33:43.740 --> 00:33:45.900 and maybe what they'll own is the playbook. 674 00:33:47.060 --> 00:33:49.660 So you could definitely try it that way around. 675 00:33:51.420 --> 00:33:52.260 Eddie. 676 00:33:56.660 --> 00:34:00.020 Well, my question is, I'm doing a new things now. 677 00:34:00.020 --> 00:34:02.260 So it's a new industry, new thing. 678 00:34:02.260 --> 00:34:03.540 I'm learning so much thing, 679 00:34:03.540 --> 00:34:07.620 but I truly feel like everything that I'm doing is dumb now 680 00:34:07.620 --> 00:34:11.300 because I don't know a whole lot about it. 681 00:34:11.300 --> 00:34:15.300 So can you speak into that, how I should do it? 682 00:34:15.340 --> 00:34:16.340 Absolutely. 683 00:34:16.340 --> 00:34:18.980 You actually have a fantastic now toolbox 684 00:34:18.980 --> 00:34:21.380 of things to use here. 685 00:34:21.380 --> 00:34:23.380 So when you're doing something new, 686 00:34:23.380 --> 00:34:27.620 this is where super thin slices is the answer. 687 00:34:27.620 --> 00:34:32.420 So for instance, if I could swivel my camera around, 688 00:34:32.420 --> 00:34:34.420 you'll see that right next to my office, 689 00:34:34.420 --> 00:34:36.540 I'm busy building a new studio. 690 00:34:36.540 --> 00:34:38.580 Now that can be a very expensive process. 691 00:34:38.580 --> 00:34:41.620 And I assumed that almost every requirement 692 00:34:41.620 --> 00:34:44.260 I put on that studio was probably gonna be done. 693 00:34:44.260 --> 00:34:47.340 And having been seeing the beautiful stuff at Sage 694 00:34:47.340 --> 00:34:51.620 when you're a few weeks ago in Charleston, 695 00:34:51.620 --> 00:34:54.020 I knew that we're not doing any of that. 696 00:34:54.020 --> 00:34:56.460 So I started to do super thin slices. 697 00:34:56.460 --> 00:34:59.860 Like what can I do with my existing stuff on my desk? 698 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:05.280 I can simulate it because I want to be able to stand up and speak because you speak better 699 00:35:05.280 --> 00:35:09.920 when you're standing right here I am seated got a good setup and all the rest good lighting 700 00:35:09.920 --> 00:35:16.160 and all the rest but I wanted something more so I just raised my cameras if I could stand 701 00:35:16.160 --> 00:35:20.240 and I practice and I look for the thinnest possible slice and I kept doing that and after 702 00:35:20.240 --> 00:35:24.280 about several thin slices I realized okay I've got it now now I just need to make it 703 00:35:24.280 --> 00:35:28.880 all bigger so now we've got four TVs and all that stuff and it's set up with cameras and 704 00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:33.640 there's more space and so on but all I did was I took something that now I deleted every 705 00:35:33.640 --> 00:35:38.680 component that I possibly could and brought it down to its basics now probably have deleted 706 00:35:38.680 --> 00:35:45.120 too much you know I'll find out but thin slicing is the cheap fast way to learn and make yourself 707 00:35:45.120 --> 00:35:51.240 make it less dumb so it's got to be it it's got to be so thin you can see through it by 708 00:35:51.240 --> 00:35:55.120 that I mean if you can you do it in half an hour can you do it in an hour rather than 709 00:35:55.120 --> 00:36:01.880 investing weeks and months in a product that you've baked all the dumbness in what thin 710 00:36:01.880 --> 00:36:06.840 slicing does is it helps you learn really quickly and make rapid changes and and track 711 00:36:06.840 --> 00:36:11.560 and find out another thing I would say is part of your thin slice go to your customer 712 00:36:11.560 --> 00:36:15.200 remember the training about start with the end in mind start with the custom and then 713 00:36:15.200 --> 00:36:22.320 work backwards don't don't design products in a lab and then go to the customer or don't 714 00:36:22.320 --> 00:36:28.000 design a marketing plan and go to the market because normally doesn't work so what you 715 00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:34.200 need to do is go to the customer and talk to as many customers as you can and people 716 00:36:34.200 --> 00:36:38.880 will love to give you the opinion you can even call competitors and say if you have 717 00:36:38.880 --> 00:36:44.280 one and say you know I'm thinking of entering this market you know what would your advice 718 00:36:44.280 --> 00:36:48.760 be you'd be amazed how many people want to help you ninety percent of the time they'll 719 00:36:48.760 --> 00:36:53.240 help you they'll go well you know I wouldn't come into this industry if I were you or they 720 00:36:53.240 --> 00:37:01.280 would say if I did it again I would do this I would definitely you know be bold but you 721 00:37:01.280 --> 00:37:07.880 know the whole thing is because you're starting with the assumption I don't know the minute 722 00:37:07.880 --> 00:37:13.080 you think you know then it gets really expensive and you make a lot of mistakes and you waste 723 00:37:13.080 --> 00:37:20.000 a lot of time awesome so there I just combined three sets of tools for you but you you got 724 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:27.280 all these tools now it's really helpful anyone else want to weigh in make a comment question 725 00:37:27.280 --> 00:37:32.560 before we break out so it's going to be fun to do the breakout so when you do a breakouts 726 00:37:32.560 --> 00:37:38.920 and you're looking at the worksheets you know I knew that people might struggle with a little 727 00:37:38.920 --> 00:37:43.160 but I don't know what project so think of a project or a process you're working on or 728 00:37:43.160 --> 00:37:50.360 one that already exists as Robin you suggested that we could we could look at so back with 729 00:37:50.360 --> 00:37:59.160 you Jenny I don't think everyone is back in yet they're all coming back in welcome back 730 00:37:59.160 --> 00:38:07.200 in we're all coming back in and connecting to audio from our breakout groups let us know 731 00:38:07.200 --> 00:38:15.200 how that went for you in the chat I think I'll be interested to know yes please let 732 00:38:15.200 --> 00:38:21.160 us know in the chat how that went for you yeah I think some of the big takeaways from 733 00:38:21.160 --> 00:38:29.280 our group were I'm paraphrasing here not not being specific but challenging the assumption 734 00:38:29.280 --> 00:38:34.160 that people want to hear from us in the same way that they always have you know that is 735 00:38:34.160 --> 00:38:42.080 one of the assumptions that are being challenged and and I think when another one is to delete 736 00:38:42.080 --> 00:38:47.160 like you were saying up top delete first before you go through the whole process and what 737 00:38:47.160 --> 00:38:57.040 a time saver that will be sure yes Bridget said it's always a good reminder to rethink 738 00:38:57.040 --> 00:39:05.400 your assumption so you don't waste time and resources absolutely yeah all right Dion Joe 739 00:39:05.400 --> 00:39:13.560 asked a question before we went into the groups of do you set the wow goals first I'm assuming 740 00:39:13.560 --> 00:39:20.860 the big goals first is why yes certainly I think I think the idea maybe we can make a 741 00:39:20.860 --> 00:39:28.340 distinction between new initiatives and existing ones because I think you know when at first 742 00:39:28.340 --> 00:39:33.660 glance when you listen to this training it may sound almost negative or kind of a little 743 00:39:33.660 --> 00:39:38.860 discouraging but it isn't it's actually a very powerful and because it keeps you innovative 744 00:39:38.860 --> 00:39:45.500 and it keeps you definitely always rethinking and it keeps it exciting actually and because 745 00:39:45.500 --> 00:39:51.980 it puts you in a mode where you you want to grow at the maximal maximum possible level and you want 746 00:39:51.980 --> 00:39:57.260 to serve your customers at the highest possible level so I think that makes it exciting but so 747 00:39:57.260 --> 00:39:59.820 it's actually a very exciting process so when you say 748 00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:02.600 you set your goals first or your wow goals, 749 00:40:02.600 --> 00:40:04.640 I would definitely put them there 750 00:40:04.640 --> 00:40:07.680 because that will cause you to ask the right questions, 751 00:40:07.680 --> 00:40:09.400 talk to the right people, 752 00:40:09.400 --> 00:40:10.880 and think of the thinnest slides. 753 00:40:10.880 --> 00:40:12.520 I could go and build a prototype 754 00:40:12.520 --> 00:40:13.800 and go and show it to a bunch of people, 755 00:40:13.800 --> 00:40:15.840 or I could just call them. 756 00:40:15.840 --> 00:40:19.400 Usually the cheapest, fastest, quickest way is the best. 757 00:40:19.400 --> 00:40:20.640 Just call people and say, 758 00:40:20.640 --> 00:40:22.240 hey, do you mind if I take a minute? 759 00:40:22.240 --> 00:40:24.640 Because I've got this program, I've got this new product, 760 00:40:24.640 --> 00:40:25.640 or we're thinking of changing, 761 00:40:25.640 --> 00:40:26.920 hey, you're one of our top clients 762 00:40:26.920 --> 00:40:29.160 and we're trying to change our process 763 00:40:29.160 --> 00:40:30.200 and we have some thoughts 764 00:40:30.200 --> 00:40:32.640 and we would very much appreciate your feedback. 765 00:40:32.640 --> 00:40:34.920 Here's what we're thinking of doing, what do you think? 766 00:40:34.920 --> 00:40:36.040 You'll be amazed. 767 00:40:36.040 --> 00:40:37.760 You make five phone calls like that 768 00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:39.920 and you'll have a whole different perspective. 769 00:40:39.920 --> 00:40:42.600 So I think by setting your wow goals first, 770 00:40:42.600 --> 00:40:44.560 it will cause you to go to the right place, 771 00:40:44.560 --> 00:40:47.200 talk to the right people and ask the right questions. 772 00:40:49.600 --> 00:40:50.440 For sure. 773 00:40:52.240 --> 00:40:53.080 All right. 774 00:40:54.120 --> 00:40:55.520 Well, we have about one more minute. 775 00:40:55.520 --> 00:40:57.840 If anyone else had any other questions 776 00:40:57.840 --> 00:41:00.600 or wanted to share surrounding this topic. 777 00:41:01.800 --> 00:41:04.720 I bet you they're all thinking about what they can delete. 778 00:41:04.720 --> 00:41:07.840 I know they're all thinking about what can they delete 779 00:41:07.840 --> 00:41:09.880 and then what can they add back in. 780 00:41:10.800 --> 00:41:11.640 Yeah. 781 00:41:13.240 --> 00:41:14.360 Somebody asked Elon, 782 00:41:14.360 --> 00:41:16.640 does that mean that we have to question you 783 00:41:16.640 --> 00:41:18.280 when you give us something? 784 00:41:18.280 --> 00:41:20.240 And he said, especially me. 785 00:41:21.360 --> 00:41:22.880 I like that answer. 786 00:41:22.880 --> 00:41:26.200 The higher up the person is from you, 787 00:41:26.200 --> 00:41:28.560 the more credentialed they are, 788 00:41:28.560 --> 00:41:32.800 the more experienced or academic they are, 789 00:41:32.800 --> 00:41:35.400 you should definitely question their assumptions. 790 00:41:35.400 --> 00:41:38.280 Cause that's the problem with the more learned you become, 791 00:41:38.280 --> 00:41:41.040 you do get stuck in assumptions 792 00:41:41.040 --> 00:41:43.120 and it's tough to challenge assumptions. 793 00:41:43.120 --> 00:41:44.480 It really is. 794 00:41:44.480 --> 00:41:46.440 But once you get used to the idea of it, 795 00:41:46.440 --> 00:41:48.120 you realize how freeing it is actually. 796 00:41:48.120 --> 00:41:50.880 You can rethink the problem from the ground up. 797 00:41:50.880 --> 00:41:52.760 We have a question from DJ. 798 00:41:53.760 --> 00:41:55.800 Hey, I have a question. 799 00:41:55.800 --> 00:41:59.440 My boss, my wonderful bosses, Robin and Bonnie Butler. 800 00:41:59.440 --> 00:42:02.360 Robin is very much, thinks a lot like you. 801 00:42:02.360 --> 00:42:05.600 Plunge in and go for the stars. 802 00:42:05.600 --> 00:42:06.440 And that's cool. 803 00:42:06.440 --> 00:42:08.480 But I also worry about drawbacks. 804 00:42:08.480 --> 00:42:11.360 Is there any problem with just picking up a phone 805 00:42:11.360 --> 00:42:12.560 and just calling someone? 806 00:42:12.560 --> 00:42:13.600 Are we burning bridges? 807 00:42:13.600 --> 00:42:15.040 Are we opening doors? 808 00:42:15.040 --> 00:42:17.080 I mean, I think that's important 809 00:42:17.080 --> 00:42:18.840 because a lot of people, 810 00:42:20.280 --> 00:42:22.640 there's a lot of people's lives that are at risk 811 00:42:23.360 --> 00:42:28.360 who are in each company and Robin's been really successful, 812 00:42:29.040 --> 00:42:30.440 but we wanna keep it going. 813 00:42:30.440 --> 00:42:32.840 And maybe I'm just a worry wart, 814 00:42:32.840 --> 00:42:36.320 but there's something to that, I think. 815 00:42:36.320 --> 00:42:37.880 What do you think? 816 00:42:37.880 --> 00:42:40.360 Yeah, I think I know what you're referring to, I think. 817 00:42:40.360 --> 00:42:42.600 But what we're saying is when you're calling someone 818 00:42:42.600 --> 00:42:44.320 and say, how can we serve you more? 819 00:42:44.320 --> 00:42:47.040 That doesn't burn bridges, that builds them. 820 00:42:47.040 --> 00:42:48.560 If you're calling customers say, 821 00:42:48.560 --> 00:42:50.120 hey, we're thinking of this new product. 822 00:42:50.480 --> 00:42:52.920 Is that something you'd be interested in? 823 00:42:52.920 --> 00:42:54.960 Hey, we're thinking of whatever. 824 00:42:54.960 --> 00:42:56.600 Could you give me your input? 825 00:42:56.600 --> 00:42:59.000 People are genuinely complimented 826 00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:01.200 when you ask their opinion and their advice. 827 00:43:01.200 --> 00:43:03.400 Even if you're a competitor, they'll do it. 828 00:43:04.720 --> 00:43:07.840 Yeah, so I know that if you're writing a book, 829 00:43:07.840 --> 00:43:10.840 one of the fastest ways to get your research done, 830 00:43:10.840 --> 00:43:12.960 instead of going and spending hours on the internet 831 00:43:12.960 --> 00:43:15.200 or doing a lot of reading or sitting in a library, 832 00:43:15.200 --> 00:43:18.680 call the people involved and ask them directly. 833 00:43:18.720 --> 00:43:21.920 And even if they're in opposition to your viewpoint, 834 00:43:21.920 --> 00:43:23.520 they're complimented by the fact 835 00:43:23.520 --> 00:43:24.920 that you took the time to ask them. 836 00:43:24.920 --> 00:43:28.120 People like to share their opinions and what they think. 837 00:43:28.120 --> 00:43:30.600 And they appreciate when you ask, I think. 838 00:43:30.600 --> 00:43:31.840 Thank you, thank you very much. 839 00:43:31.840 --> 00:43:34.480 Yeah, no, I think it's got a lot to do with the tone 840 00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:36.520 and the approach and how you position it. 841 00:43:36.520 --> 00:43:39.360 Not like, oh, we wanna change our whole business 842 00:43:39.360 --> 00:43:41.800 and they go, what about the product I paid for? 843 00:43:41.800 --> 00:43:42.960 If that's what you're referring to, 844 00:43:42.960 --> 00:43:45.080 yeah, we don't wanna do that. 845 00:43:45.080 --> 00:43:48.400 We don't put what we have at risk, we wanna make it better. 846 00:43:49.160 --> 00:43:51.480 Well, I know we're a minute over there, Jenny, 847 00:43:51.480 --> 00:43:54.280 but thanks everyone, we appreciate it. 848 00:43:54.280 --> 00:43:57.440 Yes, all right, everyone have fun finding out 849 00:43:57.440 --> 00:43:59.320 what you can delete and make less dumb. 850 00:43:59.320 --> 00:44:02.800 And we'll see you next week for week 37, bye-bye.