Unleashing Noise: Your Untapped Competitive Advantage
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
George Bernard Shaw
Dear Reader,
Wrapping up our trilogy on unseen decision-making forces in startups we’ve delved into Mimetic Desire as well as the effects of minor adjustments (Behavioral Economics). Now, we turn to ‘noise’ – judgment variability that should ideally be identical.
We often chase down biases like confirmation bias or the halo effect, noise silently yet profoundly influences our decisions. You care, because it’s an opportunity to gain a competitive edge.
(The Book: Noise: A Flaw In Human Judgement)
What noise sounds like in a startup
In startup context, noise refers to ideally identical judgment variability. Two product managers receive the same new feature brief. One leans towards minimalist design due to a recent read, while the other, swayed by a gamification podcast, adds interactive elements. This disparity in decisions creates noise, sparked not just by bias or experience, but also by varied individual influences.
Such unpredictability is not only inevitable in a startup but also desirable. It’s about distinguishing the ‘good’ noise of divergent thinking from the ‘bad’ noise of decisional inconsistency.
Not-so-obvious yet critical: Reducing hiring noise
A common practice is having a candidate meet the whole team for a ‘vibe check’. This fun approach is great for team building, but, introduces noise as each interviewer’s unique experiences, biases, and moods result in inconsistent evaluations of the same data.
​Strategies like structured interviews, rubrics, and multiple interviewers can mitigate this noise, fostering consistent, fair hiring practices.
In action: Noise in pricing and negotiations
In a young SaaS startup, noise might be inevitable with nascent pricing tiers. Discounts may vary, influenced by factors like the sales rep’s customer relationship, deal-closing urgency, or even the rep’s mood (the “we don’t want to lose the deal” / “let’s just get this done and move to the next”).
As your startup matures, transition from gut-feel decisions to strategic considerations is key. Noise isn’t about strategic decisions, like offering a larger discount to a high-value customer. It’s about variability and inconsistency in judgments that should be identical or based on strategic parameters. Unchecked inconsistencies may lead to revenue leakage.
Embracing Noise By Acknowledging Its Value
Noise can represent innovation’s fertile ground, thought diversity, and growth opportunities. “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity” – Sun Tzu.
Pixar encourages candid feedback and open communication through its ‘Braintrust‘ meetings, inviting individuals from various Pixar areas to critique ongoing projects. This process introduces new perspectives that could significantly shift a project’s direction, making ‘noise’ a vital part of their creative process.
Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, champions radical transparency. With their ‘idea meritocracy,’ every decision undergoes rigorous scrutiny and debate, minimizing bias and noise in their strategic moves.
Google, the search engine titan, acknowledges noise’s value. Their 20% time policy allows employees to spend a fifth of their working hours on side projects, fostering an innovation environment. This, combined with their data-driven decision-making process, allows for strategic alignment amidst the noise of new, disruptive ideas.
These companies have established clear processes and structures to allow for creativity and originality while maintaining strategic alignment.
Setting the pace – minimizing noise
Reducing noise in startups means standardizing processes. It’s not about controlling every detail or avoiding legal issues; it’s about minimizing noise and creating a consistent operations framework.
Noise is a complex startup element that can be both beneficial and disruptive. Acknowledging and understanding noise – its potential advantages and pitfalls – is essential. Learning how to distinguish ‘good’ noise (divergent thinking, creative disruption, etc.) from ‘bad’ noise (decisional inconsistency, uncontrolled variability, etc.) can significantly enhance your startup’s efficiency, innovation, and success.
Managing noise isn’t about eliminating it entirely but harnessing its potential while mitigating its disruptive effects. By consciously managing noise, you can transform this chaotic element into a competitive advantage for your startup.
Your vision’s noise:
As a founder, your unique vision guides your startup. Your decisions may seem inconsistent to others, but they’re influenced by your unique insights, experiences, and intuition. The challenge is to articulate your vision effectively to reduce misunderstanding (communication noise) and ensure your team aligns with your strategic direction.
Making it clear that your strategic decisions, even those deviating from the norm, have thoughtful consideration and clear impact understanding. (The engineering team that hide every time you walk in the room, knowing a new feature is about to be introduced)
Challenge For The Week:
Try a mini ‘noise audit‘ in your startup. Choose a recent team decision and ask different team members to independently assess that decision using the same information. Compare the outcomes – are they aligned or do they show high variability (noise)? Use these insights to discuss how your team can make more consistent, less noisy decisions.
Remember, the aim isn’t to eliminate all variability or suppress individual viewpoints. It’s about reducing unproductive noise, thereby improving decision consistency and effectiveness.
Until next Sunday, continue to challenge the status quo.
— James