Your gut is a tiny little co-founder
Data, data, data. We can’t get enough of it. We have to examine it to really understand our audiences, our customers, and our business strengths and weaknesses.
In this data-driven world, I’ve been thinking a lot about my gut. And not just because it’s getting bigger. But because it’s a weird intuitive soft squishy little thing, yet it contains more data than any analytics dashboard, it can come to a decision about something with frightening speed, and has come in useful in many situations, both personal and business. But it’s not always right.
In preparation for a recent panel at a Facebook Founders series event in Dublin, I was asked to consider the following question ‘Decision Making — Forced to choose, do you go with Data or Gut?’
This got me thinking about my good old gut. What is my gut decision making process?
If I’m forced to make the choice between data and gut, then it’s fair to assume that I have both available to me. In this case, the answer has to come down on the side of data, but with the experience of gut to interpret it.
When you don’t have data to hand or it’s an incomplete data set, then you have to go with your gut. And what is your gut but the culmination of all of the data you’ve ever been exposed to in your life?
So how do we understand, evaluate and train our guts? How do we use it, when we have no data to go on?
In order to really get the most out of your instinct, first, you have to learn how to listen to it. Starting a daily meditation practice helps loads with this.
Then you need to try and understand its decision making process during a specific task. Keep a record of when your gut response is spot on, and equally importantly when it is wrong. Understanding and accepting this feedback is crucial for training its future decision making.
Right now we are hiring for two positions at Axonista, a Project Manager and a Marketing Executive. As CVs are sent to me, I scan them. Some I immediately warm to (like the people who have taken the time to write a cover letter) and some I immediately don’t, and some I find intriguing for reasons yet unknown, despite not seeing an immediate fit. This is gut instinct at work. The most important questions for me to keep asking as I go through this process, are why and what. Why do I like this person? What do I find intriguing about this person, even though I don’t see an immediate fit?
As a startup founder, people decisions are the most important ones you’ll ever make. A start up lives and dies by its team. A good team elevates everyone on it. We have some incredible people and the team is the best it’s ever been.
When it comes to decision making, your gut is like a tiny co-founder. Train her well.
I’m the CEO and Co-Founder of the video technology company Axonista based in Dublin, Ireland. If you enjoyed this post, click the little heart to show me some love :)
