Lindsay Davis

Learning by doing - a good strategy?

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I'm talking about cases where someone has a great product or business idea and immediately begins working on it, but lacks any theoretical knowledge in areas like business, marketing, leadership, and other essential fields for steering the product towards success. Is it a good strategy?

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Yash Dudhagara
@imlindsay @meadow_simmons It is the best one don't let anyone tell you anything else šŸ˜Š
Yura Turivny
Absolutely. But first you have to gain knowledge and then try to put it into practice. That's the best way
Alexandr Builov
Hey Lindsay and Meadow, I believe the beauty of startups lies in learning and growing on-the-go. You don't always need theoretical knowledge. Yes, it's beneficial, but progress comes from applying, testing, and iterating your ideas šŸ’”. Real-world experience provides invaluable insights that books often miss. Let's not undervalue the power of "doing" and learning from our own unique journey. Excited to hear others' take on this! šŸ˜ŠšŸš€
Meadow Simmons
I also would be interested in getting the answeršŸ‘€šŸ¤£
Yannick
I think you learn from failures, and you fail by doing things. However, don't be afraid of failure, as it's not permanent. You might eventually succeed with a product that you failed with multiple times in the past. While it may sound theoretical, it's not. I, myself, fail a lot and I learn a lot.
AmazingSylvia
Yes it isļ¼Rome doesn't build in one day and if you're always waiting on your own ready, you may never be ready. Because everyone inevitably becomes an information cocoon. So do it!
Darya Skorokhod
Jumping into a great idea without prior theoretical knowledge in any area can be a bold step. While direct action and hands-on learning can be quite valuable, combining this hands-on approach with some theoretical understanding could significantly enhance the chances of your success
Maria Anosova šŸ”„
Absolutely yes
Jean Gatt
100%! No other way to learn in my opinion. Just build and learn on the fly, and iterate as quickly as possible, while also taking all the learnings. It's obviously easier said than done, but so efficient.
Yogita Gholap
When it's one's idea, I believe that no one can execute it better than that person and definitely should start on it. However, one should always be open to suggestions and guidance in areas where one might lack expertise, such as business, marketing, or leadership, to increase the chances of a product's success.
Eliza Crescini
I think whether or not it is a good strategy to start working on a product or business idea without theoretical knowledge in areas like business, marketing, leadership, and other essential fields for steering the product towards success depends on a number of factors, including the following: 1. The complexity of the product or business idea 2. The founder's strengths and weaknesses 3. The resources available to the founder Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to start working on a product or business idea without theoretical knowledge is a personal one. There are successful entrepreneurs who have started businesses with little or no formal training. However, it is important to be aware of the risks involved and to take steps to mitigate those risks. It's a bit long, I'm sorry LOL! But hope it helps :)
angel william
yeah its a very good strategy
Anton Gera
Yes, especially when you launching products. You will NEVER get a real understanding of product market fit BEFORE you actually launch a product. You can perform all the research in the world, spending $$$ but it is actually better to create an MVP and launch it asap.
Annie Chopra
I think learning while doing not really by doing, so you have to keep educating yourself and be open to it and know that you will potentially face more hurdles and challenges, but I think some of us get stuck on the theoretics and just work better in the action! So I think it definitely depends on the person. But as one of my favs, Marie Forleo, once said ā€œeverything is figureoutableā€
Imran Razak
Yes! Iā€™ve tried many method as Iā€™ve grown up and the best of them all is learning by just doing. Especially with startups you need to just launch your minimum viable experience and get started. Learn from whatā€™s not working and figure out how to get something working.
max
Definetely
Zhang Xiaolian
@maxdo but why?
max
@zhangzha Well, title and description are talking about different things. I donā€™t think you should rush into doing something youā€™re not completely comprehending. Itā€™s not ideas that end up being valuable and end up being successful products. Itā€™s solutions to problems you understand well.
max
@maxdo So then if you have that piece figured out - you can learn the rest on the way, whether itā€™s coding, community building, marketing, business
max
@maxdo You donā€™t need all these things you mentioned to succeed, but you need to push your product as fast as possible to validate the idea and make sure it works before investing more into it
Artyom Sviridov
Well, practice is the best teacher, as they say. And especially so in our ever-changing world.
Wyatt Feaster
I don't see why not. You try, learn, fail, and adapt.
Annitah
I believe this is a good strategy. Unfortunately, knowledge does not guarantee success. However, you can always hire people who have knowledge and skills in certain areas and learn from them while working on projects together.
Abdullah Kaludi
@imlindsay The "learning by doing" approach, while valuable for gaining practical experience and learning from mistakes, is most effective when complemented with theoretical knowledge and guidance from experts. Starting a project with a strong theoretical foundation can help avoid costly errors and provide a roadmap, while hands-on experience refines and adapts the journey. Striking a balance between theory and practice, seeking mentorship, and fostering adaptability are key to maximizing the success of business ideas and projects.