What I learned from Sam Hinkie
10 lessons for the fight against normalcy (in sports, business, or life):
Sam Hinkie is known for The Process with the Philadelphia 76ers. While he applied his insights in basketball, his approach is much more elemental.
#1 Approach everything with a beginner's mindset
Don't be scared of trying something new.
Be curious. Embrace challenges.
Ask questions until you understand something truly. Even if the answer seems obvious.
Lifelong learning is a competitive advantage.
#2 Always take the long view
"You don't get to the moon by climbing a tree."
Be willing to sacrifice the short-term for long-term success. Focus on small advantages that compound over time.
What you do today will determine your outcomes in the future.
#3 Follow Jeff Bezos' regret minimization framework
It is a tool to minimize regrets in your life - one of the mental models behind the draft of Joel Embiid.
If you look back on your life in 10,20 years, ask yourself: will you regret not doing this?
#4 Be contrarian
Being consensus is easy. But to be the best, you have to do something different than the average.
Have the conviction to be non-consensus and separate yourself from the herd. Even if others don't believe it's right.
#5 Learn from other fields and innovate
Innovation requires failure. But you don't always have to start from scratch.
Pay attention to what's happening in other fields. Learn both horizontally & vertically.
Apply what is working elsewhere while reasoning from first principles.
#6 Divorce process from outcome
You can be right for the wrong reasons. And vice versa. Don't be fooled by random outcomes.
Build systems to optimize your process and maximize the odds of success.
#7 Keep track of your decisions
In many organizations your product is decisions. Success will be the sum of your decisions.
Write down what you think will happen before a decision.
Reflect on it later. What could you have done differently?
#8 Embrace uncertainty & think like a superforecaster
"The less data, the more uncertainty and hence, more inefficiency there is."
Exploit these inefficiencies.
Start with a probability of a certain outcome. Test it. Update it based on new information.
#9 Increase optionality & take asymmetric bets
Asymmetric bets have tremendous upside & limited downside.
The more options you have + the fewer options a competitor has the better off you are.
A draft pick can be the next superstar or just another player.
#10 Be prepared for exciting new opportunities
There are many similarities with Daryl Morey.
My favorite one: When a big opportunity opens up, you have to jump on it and go all-in.
Whether it's the next superstar, a career move, or your future wife.