In this section of our “Knowers and Learners” workshop, Dan Seewald explains the importance of running experiments. To demonstrate this lesson, he focuses on the case study of Philippe Petit, a high-wire artist famous for walking between the Twin Towers in New York.
When discussing his feats of balance, Petit did not consider himself a risk taker. He asserted that his preparation was so thorough that “nothing is left to chance.” Seewald described a device in Petit’s backyard where he could practice walking on cables in different conditions. He also spent months researching weather conditions before his stunts.
Seewald presents Petit as a model learner. “A learner is all about experimentations. They base their decisions on tests and feedback from mistakes to make micro-adjustments,” Seewald says. Pivoting to a corporate context, he continues, “[Learners] don’t run validations and pilots to prove it so they get a fuller investment… They do [experiments] to constantly learn.”
Watch the video above for more.
