Exploration vs Exploitation

Progress is a Vector Product

Progress is a vector product meaning it has two components: direction and speed. Pursuing an opportunity involves two stages: Exploration and exploitation.

Making meaningful progress is the product of direction and speed. Exploration is about knowing what you want (direction). Exploitation is about getting it (speed). Think of a boat: the navigator sets the course. The steerer keeps the wheel steady and drives the vessel forward. You need both to reach the destination.

The Exploration Stage

The nature of these two stages are very different. At the exploration stage, you are basically trying to understand what options are out there, weed out the ones that are either not for you or not worth pursuing. The focus of this phase is less in the grind but to start with a general direction than explore, meet more people, stay flexible enough for the path, people, and surroundings to often times guide you. You choose opportunities but also they choose you - this is another way of saying that you should stay open minded to opportunities and be guided by external environment at times. This is a phase where you say "yes" to things that you wouldn't normally want to say yes to. Form genuine connections, be enlightened, and stay open minded to new opportunities. Try to test ideas and drop them if you don't think are right pursuing. The challenge here is to endure imposter syndrome: feeling of not making progress, falling behind when all your friends are working and seem to be making leaps forward. In the world with so many options, premature commitment is a big mistake you can make.

The Exploitation Stage

Exploitation begins once you choose. Now the work is focus and consistency. You accept that not every path is meant to be taken, and you stop second-guessing with "grass is greener" thinking. Unlike exploration phase, the challenge at this stage is saying "no" to things. Say no to distractions, build systems, and work hard. You might not be chasing every possibility - and that is the point. You are steering hard on the course you set until evidence, not anxiety, tells you to adjust.

Take Time to Decide

In the modern society, I don't think people spend enough time deciding. Maybe it's the social media like linkedin, but people rush to make decisions. The key to achievement is consistency and in order stick to the course long enough, you need to honor and respect the decision you made and you do so by having explored enough options and have spent enough time to set the initial direction for yourself.