How Running Beta Mode Can Help You Make Better Life Decisions
Plus, a simple 4-step process to gain more confidence in your big decisions
I love the story about how Wharton School of Business professor Adam Grant passed on an investment opportunity with Warby Parker.
In 2009 a few of Adam’s students pitched an idea for an affordable yet fashionable eyewear company that managed its distribution through the Internet. A revolutionary idea at the time, but Professor Grant gave them the slip.
Long story short, Warby Parker turned into a billion-dollar brand with over 200 brick and motor locations. Grant calls it the “worst financial decision” he ever made.
Why did he pass?
It wasn’t because he thought the idea was stupid. He passed because the founders didn’t have enough skin in the game.
Jeff Raider, Andrew Hunt, and Neil Blumenthal took summer internships and accepted full-time jobs after graduation. They weren’t convinced the idea would work. They had never started a company before, and breaking into the fashionable eyewear industry was rare, if not impossible.
So they hedged their bets, and Grant was not impressed. He wanted more commitment out of them.
Professor Grant believed, as society tends to believe, that major decisions should be made with passion, conviction, and confidence. People who are unsure or half-ass things are losers.
Think about where this pops up in your life.
Focus on one career path and blind yourself to all other opportunities.
Pick a spouse and get married early, or all the good ones will be gone.
Put your head down and work hard at one thing for a decade.
Here’s what I say: It’s the biggest load I’ve BS I’ve ever heard.
You can run beta mode on important decisions.
Moving to Austin, Texas, from Ohio was the biggest and scariest decision I made in my 20's.
The decision meant moving 1,300 miles away from home. Far from my family, my friends, and what network I had in Ohio, which took me a decade to build. It may not sound like a big deal, but I spent my entire life in Ohio. To me, this was ground-shaking stuff.
People tell me what I did was inspiring and courageous, but the truth is I wasn’t convinced. I knew absolutely nothing about Austin and knew no one. All I knew was everything was expensive compared to Ohio.
So I conducted a trial run. A beta, if you will.
For the first few weeks, I stayed at an Airbnb, intending to turn around and hull my ass back to the Midwest if I got too scared or if the people sucked. But I ran my test.
I jumped into a bunch of run clubs and introduced myself. I asked questions about the city. I tried new foods. I begged people to let me hang out with them. I was basically the new kid in school.
My strategy was placing little bets everywhere to see if I would mesh well with the city.
What happened?
It turned out to be the best decision I ever made. The move helped grow my company’s business and improved my writing side hustle. I now have this vibrant social life that I never had in Ohio. I have a beautiful girlfriend who’s super supportive of all the crazy stuff I do.
Of course, I eventually signed a long-term lease and can confidently say that my little bet paid huge dividends.
Use this simple 4-step formula for your next big decision.
Here’s what I suggest the next time you’re faced with a big and important decision that you know will change the trajectory of your life.
Step #1: Think of a big life decision you’ve got coming up. Is it getting married? Quitting your job and living as a nomad? Moving to a new city?
Step #2: Journal about it and decide if it’s a “hell yes” or an “I’m not sure yet.” If it’s a hell yes, then go for it! If it’s an “I’m not sure,” then move to step #3.
Step #3: Invent a beta trial for your big decision. A little action toward your ultimate decision that will help you move to hell yes, or this isn’t for me. For example, if you’re considering getting married, maybe you could move in with your partner for a year. Or if it’s quitting your job to live as a nomad, you could ask for a 2–3 month sabbatical.
You may not realize it, but there are always opportunities to run beta.
Step #4: Reflect. What did you learn during your beta trial? Are you more confident in your decision? Did your life improve? Are you happier? Are you closer to your ideal day?
Beta trials and little bets have improved my life more than I could have ever dreamed possible, but I’m curious if it’s worked for you in the past or if it’s something you plan to do. I want to hear from you. Tell us your story in the comments.