In a sea of information, insight can often be discovered not by staring at the same data the same way, but asking ourselves new questions. A simple question can powerfully focus our thinking and make sure we’re solving for the right problem.
This week I am exploring some specific issues from the book How Google Works. This is the third installment of the series. Part one deals with the always-important topic of company culture, and part two covers our obligation to dissent. Today I’ll touch upon a few questions that the authors cite as important ones, with some accompanying thoughts.
What Is Your Technical Insight?
This question can be adjusted slightly if you’re not in the technology business, but let’s for a moment assume you are. When one of the many product teams would present their plans to senior management, this question was a common one that Eric and Jonathan would ask. As they tell it, whenever there was a good answer to the question the product did well, and when there wasn’t a good answer the product generally underperformed. Two money quotes:
“What is your technical insight” turns out to be an easy question to ask and a hard one to answer. So for your products, ask the question. If you can’t articulate a good answer, rethink the product.
Who are the geeks in your company? The guys in the labs and studios working on new, interesting stuff? Whatever that stuff is, that’s your technology. Find the geeks, find the stuff, and that’s where you’ll find the technical insights you need to drive success.
What Will Be True In Five Years?
In an earlier post I wrote about the importance of anticipation and some thoughts about how best to accomplish that. Unlike the three year time horizon I used in that post, the Google Guys use a five year horizon. Either way, the job is to think about what the disrupters will be, and where the opportunities will lie. Money quote:
Start by asking what will be true in five years and work backward. Examine carefully the things you can assert will change quickly, especially factors of production where technology is exponentially driving down cost curves, or platforms that could emerge.
Other Questions….
How would a smart, well-capitalized competitor attack the company’s core business? How could it take advantage of digital platforms to exploit weaknesses or skim off the most profitable customer segments?
Do company leaders use your products regularly?….Would they give them to their spouse as a gift?
If you forced your product people to make it easy for customers to ditch your product for a competitor’s, how would they react? (I presume there the authors meant how would the customers react – not the product people).
Do your decision-making processes lead to the best decisions, or the most acceptable ones?
How much freedom do employees have? If there is someone who is truly innovative, does that person have the freedom to act on his ideas, regardless of his level?
Who does better in the company, information hoarders or routers? Do silos prevent the free flow of information and people?
Good questions, all. I’ve always liked the following phrase: “If we keep asking the wrong questions, we’ll keep getting the wrong answers”. At times, I believe many of us have the tendency to spend too much time on the answers and not enough time on the questions.
I hope you will take time to formulate the right questions for your industry. Good luck!