When presented with a new business theory, claim or fad, ask yourself three questions:

1. Is doing the opposite viable? 
If not, it’s just a banal truism that won’t offer much real world advantage. 

2. Can the claim actually be tested?
If not, it’s probably just a generalization that might or might not work, depending on the circumstances. 

3. Is there clear evidence to the contrary?
If a claim can easily be falsified — with an example of somebody having great success by doing the opposite — the idea might still have some value but is hardly a definitive prescription for success. 

You may be surprised at how few of the ideas you are exposed to withstand such simple scrutiny. That doesn’t mean they aren’t completely without merit. It just means you should investigate carefully — digging deeper into their research and taking your particular context into account — before jumping on the bandwagon. 

#strategy #entrepreneurship #theory #management

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