Ever feel stuck trying to find answers to questions with not much information to go on? You’re definitely not alone. I’ll describe the concept of progressive discovery that you can use to get more clarity and confidence in your destination.
What is Progressive Discovery?
When you're trying to figure out what matters most to you, especially when you're looking at colleges, you're probably not going to nail it on the first try. And that's totally fine! No one expects you to have all the answers right away. That's where progressive discovery comes in. It's not some magic trick that gives you "the" perfect answer in five minutes. Instead, it's a step-by-step process of making educated guesses, checking them out, and then tweaking your ideas as you learn more.
Once you're cool with the idea that it's okay not to get it perfect immediately, progressive discovery builds on three main ideas.
1️⃣ Make and test your guesses
Making and testing your assumptions is a super good way to figure out tricky stuff. Let's say you're not sure if you want to try SCUBA diving. You might wonder if you'll feel cramped or freaked out by the vast ocean and weird sea creatures. Will breathing from a tube 100 feet underwater make you paranoid? You're definitely not ready to drop a ton of money and hours getting certified. Instead, you can start by making some guesses and then testing them: I like swimming in big bodies of water, and I don't get claustrophobic.
2️⃣ Chat with people
You can learn a lot just by talking to others. While doing your research and reading is helpful, chatting with people can show you different viewpoints or ideas you hadn't even thought of. It's also a great way to hear other opinions and thoughts besides your own. It might seem weird to ask other people about things that are important to you; however, learning what's important to them can open up new ways of thinking. Sticking with the SCUBA example, you can talk to people who were certified divers. I'd ask about SCUBA stuff in general, like if they ever felt claustrophobic. I would also ask things like their favorite part of diving, their best dive, and their scariest experience.
3️⃣ Try real things
It's better to test your guesses using actual experiences and data that are as close as possible to what you're trying to figure out. Defining your guesses, doing some research, and talking to people is awesome for refining your ideas. You can take it even further by testing your assumptions closer to reality. So, for SCUBA, even though you couldn't do a 30-minute, 100-foot dive, you could go snorkeling in a local lake or at the beach. You could also take a short intro dive course to let you do a shallow dive to ... test the waters. (Hey, I'm entitled to dad jokes).
Take-away
Progressive discovery isn't just about finding answers; it's a game-changer for solving problems and making decisions. It helps you handle uncertain situations with more skill and confidence. By really digging into information, testing your ideas, and fine-tuning your understanding little by little, you're not just crossing your fingers for answers – you're actively building a strong base for smart moves.
This super cool skill is incredibly valuable when you're facing those big life choices, which often have a lot of unknowns, many moving parts, and a lot riding on them. Whether it's picking a career, making a huge money move, or deciding what you're looking for in a college, progressive discovery gives you a structured yet flexible way forward.
Embracing progressive discovery helps you develop a mindset of always learning and adjusting. It moves past the idea that there's just one perfect answer and instead promotes the understanding that knowledge often builds up in layers. Every step of the discovery process, even the ones that don't work out, helps you understand the problem better. Ultimately, this ongoing adventure of exploring and refining isn't just about reaching a destination; it's about building the smarts and flexibility you need to confidently navigate through life's ever-changing world.
Who came up with this?
I didn't invent the idea of progressive discovery. It actually comes from concepts like hypothesis testing, product-market fit, and product discovery in the business and tech world (especially in product management). These are ideas that were used and applied by some of the most successful start-ups and big-name tech companies. That alone doesn't prove it works, but many of the ideas translate. If you're curious about these concepts in the business world, you can learn more in the resources section below.
Resources
- 4 Steps Of the Epihany by Steve Blank
- Lean Startup by Eric Ries
- Inspired by Marty Cagan
- Product Discovery Series by Silicon Valley Product Group