Thursday, September 26, 2019

Know you Know


Tacit Knowledge is the stuff we know without even necessarily knowing we know. It is near impossible to communicate, because it is embodied rather than conscious. We may even tell ourselves an incorrect story about why we are able to do something. Knowing how to do something, and knowing how you know how to do something, are different skills. Being able to put that into words that someone else understands and can replicate is, again, a different skill. “The Future and its Enemies” by Virginia Postrel was first published in 1998, but remains a timeless explanation of why decisions should be made where the knowledge is, and not around boardroom tables. The “Postrel Problem” meant when I was still working for a salary, I spent a large part of my time writing memos, emails, and justifications. I have loved been freed from my inbox. Free to experiment and learn, in a micro-ambitious trial and error way. Thinking big can forget the power in small. Thinking big is imposing. Thinking small is empowering.



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