EP. 60: The Upside of Uncertainty: Embracing the Unknown With Nathan and Susannah Harmon Furr

Bounce! Conversations with Larry Weeks

My guests are Nathan and Susannah Fur. Nathan earned his Ph.D. from Stanford's Technology Ventures Program and is an Associate Professor of Strategy at INSEE ADD, one of the world's leading graduate business schools located in France. Susannah, a designer and art historian, founded a women's clothing line inspired by her research of the intricate embroidery of Dutch women.

Our discussion centers on the benefits of embracing uncertainty, specifically the tools outlined in their book, The Upside of Uncertainty.

I've been assembling tactics for years now, accumulating a mental toolbox of sorts for dealing with challenges. Uncertainty is challenging for what it lacks - concrete information.

How do we move forward when we don't fully know what we are dealing with?

We usually don't act; we might freeze or delay having a lack of certainty. Dealing with uncertainty has a lot to do with mindset since we may not know what to handle. What frame of mind will help us act or move forward in the face of uncertainty? We all know making decisions in a state of fear is also suboptimal.

So on this show, we discuss ...

• Uncertainty and evolutionary hard-wiring
• The relationship between stress and uncertainty
• Fragile and anti-fragile
• Upsides
• Tools for dealing with uncertainty
• Reframing
• Adjacent Possible.
• Aplomb: Doubting self-doubt.
• Uncertainty balancers
• Creating an Uncertainty manifesto.

And much more.

I think if you listen, you will come to the conclusion that things may be uncertain, but we can have a little more certainty that we can handle it.

For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com/podcasts