When was the last time you took a risk?
I’ve taken a few risks lately … I submitted a talk proposal to a conference, I sent an email I’d been procrastinating about, and I’m changing a few big things in my business. And how could I forget, I’m running a marathon next weekend!
I haven’t always been a risk taker. I used to hate risk. In a past life, I’d always try and make sure everything was “just right” before I put it out into the world.
The problem with this approach of working in a vacuum is that it skews your perspective. You work on it for so long and you see it through a different lens than a “normal” person sees it. That’s why it’s important to take risks and let people give feedback sooner than later.
Risks are critical to product development. The more risks you take, the more chances to create helpful feedback, outside ideas, and opportunities to course correct before you go too far down a wrong path.
My only caution is that you differentiate between reckless and calculated risk. Reckless is when you take risks based on knee-jerk reactions. Don’t do that. Be smart and make calculated risks. What do I mean by that? Take risks that you can back up with data or that you’ve vetted with an advisor or mentor.
What are some calculated risks you can take this week? Let me know in the comments below.