Just start

Starting is the ultimate catalyst for growth, creativity, and innovation. It is also a powerful antidote to uncertainty, as it transforms doubt into action. Starting creates something tangible to react to, learn from, and refine.

Even if we start with the wrong thing, it's better to start than to do nothing at all. In many instances, we can only determine whether something is the right or wrong approach once we've taken that initial step. This experiential learning enables us to pivot, iterate, and enhance, ultimately guiding us toward our desired outcome.

The speed of innovation and technology

It's not just the speed of change in technological innovation today; it's also the pace of adoption of technology that is remarkable. Gutenberg is credited with inventing the printing press around 1436. His print run of 200 copies of the Bible took 3 years to produce. Within a few decades, the printing press had changed the world. A fascinating chart here illustrates the number of years it took for different technologies in the 19th and 20th centuries to be used by one-quarter of the American population. The telephone took 35 years, the radio took 31 years, and the television took 26 years.

Remarkably, in 2022/2023, Chat GPT is estimated to have reached 100 million monthly users (global) in just 2 months. It's certainly not an apples-to-apples comparison, but remarkable nonetheless.

The pendulum clock

The pendulum clock was invented in 1656, making it pretty old technology. But do you think you could make one yourself today with only the same resources that were available in 1656? No internet, no phone, no Amazon delivery, and no trip to the local hardware store. I know I certainly couldn’t. Therefore, much of what we create and make today is made possible, in large part, by building upon or utilizing other existing technology, resources, and information.