When I entered an R&D lab in 2008, their rule #1 was written on the whiteboard: MOST OF IT IS WRONG. It was a good rule but incomplete, so I picked up a marker and added rule #2: WE FAIL FASTER.
On those two rules all R&D shops live or die. 1/
On those two rules all R&D shops live or die. 1/
99% of all new ideas are failures, and yet new ideas have such appeal that often we get overly attached to them. You have to resist this temptation. Remind yourself constantly that most of it is wrong, even — especially! — the ideas you like. 2/
The only way to get to the 1% of good ideas is to plow your way through the 99% of bad ideas. Structure your lab so that bad ideas are detected as early as possible. Each second saved brings you a second closer to a good idea. Fail quickly! 3/
I can't promise these two rules will make your R&D shop successful. I can promise you that without them, your shop won't be. Good searching and good luck! 4/4 fin
