Think Like a Scientist

The Future Belongs to Creators

The scientific method is straightforward. Identify a problem, draw a hypothesis, run an experiment, collect the data, and find a conclusion. What if we approached our creative side hustles with the same data-driven mindset?

Creators of all types procrastinate, get stuck, burn out, or simply lose momentum. When work is personal or we live like perfectionists, it’s especially hard to break out of a rut and keep creating. Sometimes the best method for creative success is to hit refresh with a brand new perspective. It’s time to think like a scientist.

In this episode, Charli and Miguel discuss why experimentation and analysis often lend themselves to something unexpected: creativity.

“There is something to be said for launching something that might be half-baked or three-quarter baked, and then be very prepared to iterate on it as things happen. So if you’re holding yourself back because it’s not quite perfect, at least entertain the idea that maybe it doesn’t have to be.” ~ @miguelp.img

Main takeaways

• [03:56] Stop viewing missteps as failures and start viewing them as valuable learnings for future work. Just because you didn’t do something perfectly doesn't mean it was a wasted effort.
• [08:19] Before embarking on a creative experiment, determine what success will look like.
• [10:36] When you’re trying to figure out which creative experiment to run, consider whether or not you’re passionate about the project, whether the experiment will be useful to other people, and whether the outcome has something unique to offer others in the same space.
• [22:47] It matters less how much time you’re spending on something and more how much attention you’re giving it. Focused work is better than finishing with lackluster effort.

Connect with our hosts

• Charli Prangley
• Miguel Pou
  
  

Links

• Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube
• Adam Grant
• Work Life with Adam Grant
• The Wharton School
• How I Built This with Guy Raz
• The Future Belongs to Creators 111: The Future of Email Marketing for Musicians
• The Future Belongs to Creators 114: 1,000 True Fans
• Charli on YouTube
• The Futur
• 2021 income streams report - I DOUBLED my side hustle income!
• How much do web designers earn? [Real salary numbers]
• The Future Belongs to Creators 129: Oversupply and Competition Between Creators
• A Scientific Approach To Entrepreneurial Decision-Making: Evidence From a Randomized Control Trial
  
  

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