As our company has grown over the past few years—we doubled our Cincinnati team and added more team members in Chicago and beyond—we’d outgrown our Cincinnati Longworth Hall space and needed some updates to how we functioned as a team. The space needed to accommodate us, give us a place we love to come to work and allow us to be as productive as possible. In an effort to continue to love our company, love our team, and love our space, we decided to put an organized effort into bettering the space we work in on a daily basis.

APPROACH:

We took our own medicine and leveraged our Lean Growth Playbook, especially leveraging Jobs to be Done, to develop empathy and team focused solutions.

In order to first understand our ‘audience’ – US – we asked the TGG Team to participate in a painstorm, either virtually via survey or in person. Uncovering hundreds of pain points for employees both in the Cincinnati office and remote, we set out to identify our core Jobs to Be Done. The whole company participated in scoring and prioritizing Jobs to understand where our attention should be placed when improving the space.

Once we understood the core Jobs to be Done, we sought inspiration – via our favorite Trends & Analogs approach. We toured neighboring offices in Longworth hall and spaces outside of Longworth to understand how other companies and spaces were solving some of the Jobs we needed to address. Then we took our inspiration and held an ideation session to identify the best TGG ways to solve for each Job. We identified potential budgets and pitched our plan to leadership, and got buy-in to move forward to improve the space.

IMPACT:

Our team came up with 240 pain points, in which we broke down into 110 Jobs to be Done. Here are few of the highest prioritized Jobs to be Done and how we transformed the space to solve for them:

I need an efficient way to conduct a meeting with virtual team members no matter what part of the space I’m in.

Our team invested in Zoom Rooms, which enabled us to have better video communication between offices. We added monitors to rooms, enabling people to video conference while also being on their computers.

I need a space that makes it easy to collaborate with others.

Our previous configuration of the space made it difficult to sit in the open and collaborate frequently and easily with others. By knocking down walls and creating a more open environment for our team, collaboration happens more organically.

Give me a place to work when I need to focus without distraction.

Historically, when our team needed to focus, people would go into conference rooms. But as we grew, we really needed the conference rooms to be solely for calls and meetings. Upon doing research, we found why setups like rooms and cubicles enable more focus: shielding the peripheral from distractions. We built custom “nooks” so that people can have the feeling of being in a room or in a cubicle, but still be able to be part of the office and collaborate.

Give me a space where the entire on-site team can comfortably sit during all-team gatherings.

By knocking down the walls, we’ve not only enabled this, but we’ve also been able to start hosting Courageous Minds Only chats in our office for the first time.

BigCo leaders are under tremendous pressure to keep their organizations relevant and growing in the face of increasing uncertainty. And as battle-tested leaders courageously trailblaze the way forward, it is more critical than ever for them to learn from and connect with other battle-tested leaders. We’ve created Courageous Minds Only communities in cities like Cincinnati, NYC, Chicago, and more as one way to enable that, but also highly recommend attending conferences, especially if you have a desire to dig into specific topics, tools, mindsets, and methodologies. We’ve shared a list (in no particular order) below based on our own experiences and external recommendations, but please share your thoughts with us. What conferences have you received the most value from?

• Front End of Innovation Conference (FEI)
  • Held in Boston every year, FEI is one of a kind when it comes to connecting with BigCo leaders who are trailblazing the way forward. You’ll meet a mix of leaders—innovation lab leaders, design leaders, those innovating across the core business, internal innovation consultants, and more— all tackling similar challenges. We’ve been participating in this conference for the past four years; great way to stay involved and at the forefront of the ecosystem.
• Retail Innovation Conference
  • Get a hands-on look at the latest innovations in the retail space, exclusive store tours, and more at this retail-focused event. Check out this year’s updates and learnings.
• The Quirks Event
  • In 2019, this market research conference traveled to London, Brooklyn, and Chicago to bring together research and insights leaders at an affordable cost. These events are different in the sense that there are no big keynote speakers; you’re going to learn solely from battle tested leaders and companies who have submitted applications to share. From our experience, these events tend to be very regionally attended, so especially if you’re close to Chicago or NYC, this is a good chance to sustain and grow your local network.
• The Market Research Event (TMRE)
  • We’ve been a long-time attendee of TMRE; this conference consistently attracts insights, marketing, and innovation leaders alike, especially those who are tasked with finding new, innovative ways to tackle challenges when it comes to keeping the core relevant expanding into adjacencies. This conference is consistently a good mix of takeaway-packed battle tested stories and inspiring keynotes.
• Lean Startup
  • We’ve been going to Lean Startup Conference for the past three years. The conference has evolved and changed, but consistently attracts some of the top battle-tested BigCo and industry thought leaders. Check out our takeaways from the 2018 conference.
• Mind the Product
  • While specific to product managers, Mind the Product travels all over the world and is a great event for learning actionable techniques, tools, and methods. This conference came highly recommended from many who attended Lean Startup. Check out these top learnings from Mind The Product San Francisco 2018.
• Innovation Leader’s Impact
  • Innovation Leader is a media company, releasing some of the top reports when it comes to data on the corporate innovation space. They host “Deep-Dives” across different cities, touring local Innovation Labs and digging into specific topics, and last year they launched their conference.
• Innov8rs
  • This conference spans the globe, inviting speakers that explore topics like succeeding with innovation labs, incubators and accelerators, structuring, scaling and sustaining intrapreneurship programs, portfolio management, funding and metrics, and more. This is on the smaller side when it comes to conferences, which enables you to more easily connect with people.
• Innovation Summit
  • With the objective of leaving attendees with a playbook on the technologies to stay at the forefront of their industry, Innovation Summit brings together leaders and learnings to ensure long-term, actionable strategies are created.
• Fast Company Innovation Festival
  • Positioned as a live-storytelling event, these 4 days cover all things innovation, from technology, to leadership, to creativity, and healthcare. This is a larger conference, so tougher to network and find your tribe, but is one of the best of the best when it comes to getting inspired and see some of the latest when it comes to tech and creativity.
• Future of FinTech
  • CB Insights puts this conference together to ensure attendees leave better informed about emerging companies, business, models, and technologies revolutionizing the financial services industry.  

Big conferences aren’t the only way to learn from others and explore more in this space. As we’ve gotten involved in the Chicago ecosystem and stayed involved in Cincinnati, we’ve found our local tribes at places like 1871 and Union Hall.

Share your thoughts with us. What other conferences should be on this list?

The Courageous Minds Only Community is a safe space for entrepreneurial BigCo leaders to network, learn, and seek inspiration to solve their biggest challenges. Over the past month, the movement grew in Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, New York City, and Columbus after we hosted Courageous Minds Only Chats in each of the cities.

We heard battle-tested stories and lessons from trailblazers at KIND International, Citi FinTech, Post Consumer Brands, Paycor, Estée Lauder, Pfizer, Nationwide, and more. When asked about how they lead with courage in the face of uncertainty, 11 themes remained prevalent among all of their answers.

Embrace Curiosity and Conviction for What’s Next 

Put yourself out there to discover what’s next, hustle to lean into that curiosity, and make changes happen.

Invite the Ambiguity of Innovation

Throw yourself into situations that make you uncomfortable, embrace humility and vulnerability, and ask “Why?” more often. Change creates discomfort, yet opportunity, and leads to growth for everybody.

Always Take the Risk

If you want to eliminate all uncertainty, then you’re never going to get started. Take risks as often as possible; you’ll never regret them, no matter the outcome. From a leadership standpoint, make sure to reward your team for taking risks, whether or not they are successful.

Expect and Accept Failure

Let go of the concept of perfectionism because failure is inevitable. However, your mistakes don’t need to be considered failures if you learn from them. What can you do differently the next time around?

Innovate Within Barriers

Place small bets, then use the results from the small bets to make bigger bets.

Place the Consumer at the Core

Knowing that you operate on behalf of your consumers, if you don’t change, you don’t serve your consumers well. Let every single one of your decisions be informed by your consumers. If you’re in need of inspiration, get closer to your consumers.

Gain Support Along the Way

Sell your decision makers along the way. That way, when you’re ready for the official pitch, the leadership team already knows what’s coming and all you need to do is make the specific ask. The more you can position your solution as one of your consumers’ needs, they’ll advocate for you. If you’re met with objections, remember that it’s not an opportunity to speak up, it’s an obligation.

Foster Diversity of Thought

Cultivate a team of individuals who think and approach situations differently. The traditional marketers are still valuable to have, but mix in some entrepreneurs and artists. This unique combination of people will naturally foster diversity of thought as they challenge one another and build off of the ideas brought to the table.

Communication is key when managing diverse teams. Bold ideas need be met with bold conversations.

Let Your Data Speak

Support your courageous efforts with data. If the data disproves your own point of view, consider adjusting your original decision.

Act like an Owner

When you’re able to connect a personal interest to the impact your team or organization is making, you become an owner of your work, resulting in more courage, passion, and consistency.

Seek Your Inspiration Fuel

When you lose your spark, how do you reignite the fire? Try surrounding and fueling yourself with positive people, and always returning to your “why” of driving change. Everyone seeks inspiration in different ways; find yours.

Learning from others’ battle-tested stories and lessons is valuable, but in order to impact your organization to move faster and smarter, you have to start making changes, small or big, in your own life, team, or greater organization. What will you do tomorrow to lead with courage in the face of uncertainty?

Thank you to the Courageous Minds Only Communities in all six cities for boldly inspiring one another to continue changing the BigCo landscape. More Courageous Minds Only Chats to come this fall!

We’re pumped to bring our summer Innovation and Growth Strategy Interns on board. Throughout the summer, they’ll conduct consumer research, jump into strategy planning for client engagements, and support the organization of seamless client experiences. We’re excited to learn from them over the next few months!

Cagla Akcadag

School: George Washington University

Majors: Marketing and Entrepreneurship & Innovation; Minor in Psychology

Chipotle Order: White Rice, Veggies, Steak, Mild Salsa, Corn, Cheese

Fav LaCroix flavor: Probably Lime, but I have not tried them all yet.

What’s your current side hustle?

I do video editing, basic graphic design, market, and book shows for a music group based in Cincinnati.

I also work with a start-up called Last Call based in D.C. Their mission is to reduce food waste and food insecurity by partnering with restaurants in the area and repurposing the food that they would usually waste at the end of the day.

What’s something you’ve learned in school that you think everyone should know?

One of the coolest things I learned this year is what a Designated Survivor was.

Designated Survivor: A person who is a member of the U.S. Cabinet is chosen to be hidden in a secure, secret location during State of the Union addresses and Presidential Inaugurations. This is done to ensure the continuity of the government in the case of a catastrophic event.

What industry trends have you been watching? What interests you about them?

I’ve been interested in how technology is shaping how we travel. Self-scanners for passports at airports, scanners to speed up the customs process, etc. I am fascinated by this because it makes me curious to see how technology will have an effect on air safety.

Leah Ball

School: Miami University

Majors: Theatre, Arts Management; Minor in Entrepreneurship

Chipotle Order: Burrito with white rice, pinto beans, chicken, sour cream and extra cheese

Fav LaCroix flavor: Not sure yet. Open to suggestions!

What’s your current side hustle?

I am the president and founder of the Delight Ministries chapter on Miami University’s campus. I am also working for a birthday entertainment company this summer, dressing up as Disney-inspired princesses and attending children’s birthday parties to interact with the kids and do sing-alongs.

What’s something you’ve learned in school that you think everyone should know?

Mozart composed his first symphony at the age of 6 but didn’t compose his first great symphony until the age of 21. That’s 15 years of work on his craft before becoming one of the greats!

What industry trends have you been watching? What interests you about them?

I recently learning about a company called Biofase that’s making biodegradable silverware and straws out of avocado pits. Avocados are one of my favorite foods and I love the sustainability aspect of this innovation.

Olivia Hajjar

School: Miami University

Major: Kinesiology; Minor in Entrepreneurship

Chipotle Order: Burrito bowl with white rice, black beans, chicken, pico, a little bit of cheese, and a little bit of lettuce.

Fav LaCroix flavor: Cran-Raspberry

What’s your current side hustle?

I create custom-made workout guides for women! I decided to spend time creating a fitness brand for myself after being approached about my workouts on many occasions. I began by posting videos of myself working out on an instagram. Then, people actually wanted workout guides of their own so I began creating affordable and versatile fitness guides tailored to the individual’s fitness goals. These guides include tips and tricks to maximizing workouts and proper ways to recover based on my education as a Kinesiology major.

I also love fashion photography (and all other kinds of photography). I shoot for Miami University’s student-run fashion magazine (UP Magazine). I have been exposed to different decades and styles of fashion and have fine-tuned my photography skills through the issues that my work is published in.

What’s something you’ve learned in school that you think everyone should know?

I learned that free weights at the gym contain 362 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, so be sure to wash up immediately after working out

What industry trends have you been watching? What interests you about them?

I have been watching trends in the luxury fashion industry, specifically with streetwear/footwear. This interests me because fashion is such a unique expression of personality and combining personal style with innovation fascinates me.

Walking away from Market Research in the Mobile World North America in April, our minds were on data, data, and more data. A few thoughts we walked away with… 

More Data Than Ever – Are We Actioning It?

A key theme discussed across various presenters is the fact that data is being amassed at a faster rate than ever. According to Forbes, 90% of the worlds data has been produced in the last 2 years! What are we doing with it, though? If we’re relying on out-of-the-box analytics tools, we’re likely missing some of the richness that human insight can bring.

Challenge to Insights Practitioners:

• Leverage the best of the tools, while using the data to answer your strategic business objectives by rolling up your sleeves to build custom metrics or manually structure unstructured data.
• Look beyond the out-of-the-box metrics and get creative about piecing things together to tell a cohesive story.

Multi-Method Tells a More Holistic Story

Many presenters were grappling with reconciling emerging data sets that reveal behavioral data like clicks and transactions with the typical metrics needed for decision-making. These data sets require strategic thinking, paired with additional methods to uncover the holistic story of why consumers are doing what they’re doing. We’re big fans of transactional data because it’s more honest than projected, opinion-based data. It’s often a bit messier than the surveys of the past, though. This mess is worth navigating because it yields more reliable data.

When we work with teams to test critical assumptions on their path to qualifying a product or service for launch, it’s crucial that we use a variety of these data sets to systematically de-risk the new product or service.

A challenge to Insights Practitioners:

• Be willing to build hypotheses from messy data. Test these hypotheses through additional experiments. It’s no longer about one data point!
• Ask: “how can we leverage existing passive data with primary research, or other existing data in order to better inform this decision?”

Use Common Sense & Healthy Skepticism

Many presenters raised awareness that with the growth of AI, machine learning, smarter algorithms, and panels that promise speed and agility, there is always a risk that the data you are gathering is not always from real humans, or that a few click farms are amassing lots of fake data. We’ve seen this to be appallingly true over the past 10 years of conducting social media ethnography. Often, when we’re cleaning data, only a handful of comments have been from humans in a dataset of hundreds or thousands.

A challenge to Insights Practitioners:

• Ask: “How well does this fit with the rest of the data we have amassed? Does it make common sense?”
• Dig into the actual data behind the numbers. Expect to have to clean the data and don’t take out-of-the-box analysis tools at face value without checking to make sure it’s built on reliable inputs.
• Check out this resource that was shared on ways to “beat the cheaters.”

We left MRMW with a reminder that the data is messier than ever, but worth the effort because it can also be more accurate and more behavioral than ever. How is your team leveraging the mess that is big data?

The Garage Group is excited to organize and host another New York City Courageous Minds Only Chat on Thursday, May 23rd, 6:30-8:30 pm at WeWork (500 7th Avenue, Floor 8, New York, NY 10018)! We’re all learning, failing forward, identifying and solving problems, and figuring out the right path. Let’s keep learning from one another.

On May 23rd in New York City, listen in for battle-tested lessons learned from these four entrepreneurial leaders on strategies and tactics they’ve personally used to allow their organizations to search for sustainable and bold new ways to add value in the face of increasing market uncertainty.

Here’s who is jumping in:

• Sonia Sethi, Digital Commerce Acceleration Director, Mars Wrigley Confectionery
• Mark Polson, Vice President, Creativity and Business Innovation, Global Management Strategies, Estee Lauder 
• Luisa Barraza, Innovation Accelerator Director, Pfizer
• Ryan Robertson, Marketing Director, Emerging Brands and US Multicultural Marketing, Diageo
• Jason Hauer, Co-CEO, The Garage Group

Below is the event agenda:

6:30-7:00 pm Drinks & Community Building
7:00-8:00 pm Fireside Chat
8:00-8:30 pm Drinks & Community Building

There will be beer, wine, and light snacks provided. Event costs have been covered by The Garage Group so it is free to attend the event, but registration is required below.

The Garage Group is excited to organize and host another Columbus Courageous Minds Only Chat on Thursday, May 23rd, 5:30-7:30 pm at Industrious (629 North High Street, 4th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215)!

Over the past few years, we’ve hosted convos with more than 50 courageous Bigco leaders from organizations across the country as they share how they’re trying to adopt more entrepreneurial ways of working and influence their organizations to move faster and smarter. We’re all learning, failing forward, identifying and solving problems, and figuring out the right path. Let’s keep learning from one another.

On May 23rd in Columbus, listen in for battle-tested lessons learned from entrepreneurial leaders on strategies and tactics they’ve personally used to allow their organizations to search for sustainable and bold new ways to add value in the face of increasing market uncertainty.

Here’s who is jumping in:

• Alex Rouse, AVP, Innovation, Nationwide
• Michael Luh, VP, Corporate Strategy & Innovation, Worthington Industries
• Sara Valasek, Senior Director, Lean Growth, The Garage Group

Below is the event agenda:

5:30-6:00 pm Drinks & Community Building
6:00-7:00 pm Fireside Chat
7:00-7:30 pm Drinks & Community Building

There will be beer, wine, and light snacks provided. Event costs have been covered by The Garage Group so it is free to attend the event, but registration is required below.

At the 2019 Front End of Innovation conference in Boston, we’re continuing to push the convo forward around operating with courage in the face of uncertainty.

Transforming Kraft Heinz’s Innovation Pipeline Approach | Track 3: Tuesday, 14 May 2019 11:40 am – 12:20 pm
Erin Faulk, VP Lean Growth at The Garage Group, and Stacey Cox, Consumer Insights, Director, Kraft Heinz, shared at Quirks Chicago how they developed and scaled a custom Jobs to be Done rooted approach to uncovering unmet consumer needs and divergently ideating to come up with breakthrough ideas for their 3-5 year innovation pipelines.

At FEI, Dwight White and Erin will  share that same story, along with enablers and lessons learned, but go deeper into the next step of the approach: how they go from idea to prototype in a week, quickly de-risking the idea along the way.

Courageous Minds Only | Track 2: Tuesday, 14 May 2019 2:55 pm – 4:15 pm

Over the past year, we’ve hosted convos with more than 50 courageous BigCo leaders from organizations across the country as they share how they’re trying to adopt more entrepreneurial ways of working, operating with courage in the face of uncertainty. We’re excited to keep learning and growing together as we host a Courageous Minds Only Chat at FEI with leaders from Citi Fintech, Ab InBev, and more.

Looking forward to hearing leaders from Covestro, American Express, Pepsico, Caterpillar, American Family Insurance, and more share how they’re leveraging entrepreneurial methods, mindsets, and approaches against some of their biggest challenges.

Will you be at FEI? Send Jason a note and let us know.

Not registered yet but interested in attending? Use our registration code for a discount: FEI19Garage

Consumer desires and expectations for personalization/customization in offerings across categories and their embracing of a future economic model that is circular by design are two of the macro trends that we’ve repeatedly seen with applicability across industries and opportunity spaces.

Personalization includes not only curated items but convenient forms and delivery options as well – catering to holistic needs for products that consumers view as being specifically for them. But with a heightened concern for the health of our planet, one component of a circular economy is minimizing waste and even reaching goals for zero waste.

These trends are both relevant, but as we’ve done some quick Social Media Ethnography research, the tension is evident as consumers try to strike a balance between personalization and low-waste. From our quick research, here are some of the pain points and delighters of these trends, and examples of how companies have begun solving for the tension.

Pain points

Consumers express delight with products and services that are customizable to their unique wants and needs — often manifested in unique forms and including options for delivery. These bespoke solutions are often delivered in small packages – for example, personalized, pre-packaged meals or supplements to be easily consumed on a daily basis. Although consumers have demonstrated an appetite for subscription boxes with customized contents, they are expressing frustration and misgivings with the amount of waste created from the convenient packages that simplify their daily routines. Job To Be Done: Give me products that are “for me and my family” while also being good for the earth.

“I was still left with a pile of little #4 plastic bags that are only recyclable at a special facility (which, let’s face it, are probably going to end up in the trash).” – Review

“Healthy groceries timed to arrive at your home when you do? #YesPlease However, its packaging created a lot of excess waste. ” -Twitter

“A HUGE downside is all this single-use waste. Yes, it’s super pretty packaging, but this isn’t even the full box I got, so more plastic will be thrown away before it’s finished.” – Instagram

Delighters

Tailor-made products that arrive in packages consumers deem “minimalist” and “clean” and with elements that are recyclable hold aesthetic appeal, and shoppers will often overlook any elements of wastefulness when they love the container and its contents. Job To Be Done: Give me convenient, fresh, personalized food and beauty in attractive and recycled/reusable packaging.

“The amber colored bottles are adorable, and the specifics of your [individual] formula are printed right on the label. Also, the box they came in was made from all recycled packaging.” – Blog

“Can we talk about this packaging? Aesthetically speaking, it couldn’t be more pleasing. The amber bottles help to protect the ingredients in the products, but I happen to love that it gives them an old-school, apothecary look. The personalized tags are a dream come true for monogram lovers like myself.” – Blog

“The packing materials are all recyclable and compostable. All this alleviates some of the angst we feel at the sheer amount of packaging needed to send and deliver fresh food.” – Review

Solutions

While some argue that personalized offerings are inherently less wasteful because they offer correct doses and suitable portions, and that bespoke attributes of hard goods and apparel drive consumers to keep/wear/use them longer, brands are taking steps to truly embrace circular economy principles where materials are sourced intentionally, kept in use for as long as possible, and reused at the conclusion of each useful cycle. Here are a few examples that we’ve seen:

The beauty industry as a whole is shifting toward more concentrated formulas – often waterless – which require less product to get the job done and also less packaging. Many shoppers are surprised to learn that personal care products are 95% water. LOLI  (Living Organic, Loving Ingredients) brings Zero Waste Beauty to life by sourcing ingredients from by-products of organic whole foods and then having consumers add the water. Its organic bases, mix-ins, and BIY (blend-it-yourself) recipes allow customization, and LOLI products are packaged in reusable, food-safe glass jars with compostable labels.

Flipping the paradigm of brands with bespoke offerings becoming more sustainability-focused, Simply Straws leads with circular economy principles and includes options for customization. Their glass straws and drinkware offer everyday alternatives to single-use plastics. They also offer protective sleeves which are carefully crafted from fair-trade hemp, flax, and organic cotton; all of their packaging is compostable. Responding to consumer enthusiasm for their mission and desire for personalization, many of their products are customizable with text, and businesses may customize products with their logo.

Those who remember when milk was delivered to their home in glass bottles, will welcome the Spring launch of Loop which brings the milk delivery model full circle. Partnering with several well-known consumer goods brands, Loop will deliver a panoply of goods to the home in durable, reusable containers. Their zero-waste delivery system relies on the use of the Loop tote which eliminates single-use shipping materials such as cardboard, bubble wrap, and ice packs. Consumers will be able to deposit their empties (from soap, ice cream, and more) into the Loop tote and schedule a free pick-up. Loop sanitizes and cleans the returned empties so that they are ready for reuse. And, not only is product packaging functional, each offering is designed to be beautiful enough to display. We hope and expect to see this ring-shaped model expanded and adopted by brands across all consumer goods categories.

How might these brands spark ideas for your company to solve for consumer Jobs To Be Done that revolve around desire for customization and sustainability?

We’re excited to welcome Andy Re as one of our newest Associate Strategists. Andy dives into challenges head-first, defining assumptions to test in order to mitigate the risk. With a background in scrappy research to identify whitespace opportunities in the mental healthcare industry, he’s an expert at curating organic consumer interactions and touch points. Andy thrives in the often overwhelming sea of consumer data, turning insights into clear and actionable stories. Andy energizes client engagements, pushing teams to think beyond the status quo, and activating them to run forward with new capabilities. Check out Andy’s lessons learned in identifying the riskiest assumptions early in order to save his life,

I have identified myself as “a thrill seeker,” “a change agent,” and “a risk taker.” I wore the last identity as a badge of pride, believing that the ability to blind myself and move forward in the face of fear was a strength best untempered. I was wrong.

Idea: Let’s rock climb a multi-pitch route (over 100 feet tall) in North Carolina this winter to escape the cold Ohio weather and gain experience on bigger cliffs.

We began to study the area, looking for ideal mountains and gorges with climbable cliffs within our physical capability. We decided on a well-established route that climbs out of a deep gorge to a beautiful mountain ridgeline. The trip would comprise of primitive camping on the ridgeline, hiking to the canyon floor at sunrise, and climbing the 400-foot cliff back to our campsite before dark.

Assumption #1: The loose instructions we found online will provide us with enough information to navigate the hike and climb.

The day came, and we set off down the trail at first light. We followed directions printed off of a random website that was supposed to guide us on a simple path down switchbacks into the gorge. The directions were insufficient. We got lost and ended up burning daylight tracking down muddy slopes and thorny bramble that cut and tore at us for miles. Four hours later, we found the large crack in the stone cliff we were meant to climb. After a couple of hundred feet of climbing, we quickly realized that we were nowhere near the top, or even halfway.

Assumption #2: If we struggle to complete the climb, we can always repel down the wall, and hike back to camp.

My partner and I sat in our harnesses investigating, feet dangling in the open air, passing back pieces of a printed out pictures and maps of the gorge system and cliff face. We eventually realized the route we were intending to climb could be accessed from the side, halfway up the entire rock feature, meaning, the climb was supposed to be 400 feet from the middle of the cliff to the top ridgeline. We were going to have to climb over 700 feet from the canyon floor to the top. Without any idea of where the actual trail that leads back to our camp was, meant that the only way we could confidently get home was by going up.

Assumption #3: We will have time to hike down and climb back up before sunset.

It was then that the sun started to creep behind the horizon. We raced up the wall, executing the climb better than we could have imagined, but not fast enough. The last bit of day-glow vanished and we were scrambling through our packs for our headlamps. We were now in complete darkness, unable to see anything but the small cones of light from our lamps. As the sun set, the comfortable sunny, 50-degree weather gave way to freezing winds, and we realized how underdressed we were.

Assumption #4: Verbal commands alone will provide enough communication to climb safely.  

At this point in the climb, we were maybe 200 feet from the top, and my partner was gearing up to lead the charge up the most challenging portion. This meant he would climb upward and look for the next place to anchor the rope so that I could follow. I had a nice eight-inch ledge where I could stand and hug the wall, shielding myself from the biting wind. My partner set off climbing up and around a corner of a jettisoned part of rock, putting him out of sight. We had an established communication system for times like this: when he completes a 100-foot section, is safe and ready for me to climb, he will yell, “Belay On!” We made sure to constantly yell to each other, attempting to stay in contact. The higher he climbed, however, the more the wind choked our screams until all I could hear was the wind whistling in my ears.

For the next hour, I continued to feed the rope through my device as I felt it tug, knowing this meant my partner was still climbing. When the rope stopped tugging, I assumed he was fixing himself to the wall, and preparing for me to follow. I waited to hear “Belay On.” I waited for an hour, continuously yelling his name. With the howling wind, I could hardly hear myself scream. My head was racing with worst-case scenarios as time ticked by. What if he got stuck in the crack we are climbing? What if he’s unconscious? My fingers were turning grey while I jumped in place to keep my blood flowing. If I lose feeling in my hands, I won’t be able to climb, and I can’t risk being in the freezing weather all night. I checked my phone; 5% battery left and no reception. If there’s an emergency I’ll have to handle it. Another hour passed, and out of sheer desperation, I made the decision to risk my own safety and climb up after him. Just as I was psyching myself up, preparing to release my final carabiner clipping myself to the wall, I heard “Belay On!” carried by the wind.

Looking back, it’s easy to see the many little assumptions I made that amounted to this high-risk idea. I assumed this awareness was only made possible in hindsight: You take the risk and succeed, or you fail and learn something. What if I learned a broader context to my idea and minimized its riskiest assumptions, turning my foolish risk into a smart one?

First, I would ask myself a series of probing questions: What am I assuming to be true? What has to align in my favor? I would have identified the assumptions listed above far before failure happened. Second, with my assumptions identified, I would have begun to test and minimize them through learning: I could have talked to a climber who has completed the route beforehand to get feedback on trail directions. I could have timed myself climbing other routes to anticipate how much time it would take. Any of these experiments would have eliminated the need for my risky assumptions.

My mistake was taking risk pursuit to a dangerous limit. Perhaps you are more risk-averse? Staring down the barrel of a decision that could mean the loss of years of work, the loss of your team’s budget, or the failure of a product launch. Identify your leap of faith assumptions, and plan a reliable test to make the unknown known. Let the cliff’s edge be your warning signal for when to de-risk your big ideas. Belay On!