# Live From The HIBT Summit: Adam Grant

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2021-08-19
- Length: 50m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-08-19-live-from-the-hibt-summit-adam-grant

## Summary

Organizational psychologist and Wharton professor Adam Grant, author of 'Think Again' and 'Originals', advises entrepreneurs to adopt a scientific mindset, treating business strategies as testable hypotheses rather than identities. He argues that recognizing errors quickly is crucial for learning, citing research where founders trained to 'think like scientists' generated 40 times more revenue by pivoting more frequently. Grant also discusses the importance of 'confident humility,' balancing self-assurance with the willingness to admit ignorance, and offers practical tools like 'challenge networks' and 'creative checkups' to avoid the pitfalls of stubborn persistence.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-08-19-live-from-the-hibt-summit-adam-grant#t=0) Introduction: Adam Grant and the Science of Entrepreneurship
- [3:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-08-19-live-from-the-hibt-summit-adam-grant#t=218) Incubation, Notebooks, and the Value of Procrastination
- [11:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-08-19-live-from-the-hibt-summit-adam-grant#t=709) Thinking Like a Scientist: Pivoting vs. Doubling Down
- [15:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-08-19-live-from-the-hibt-summit-adam-grant#t=902) Escalation of Commitment and the Challenge Network
- [19:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-08-19-live-from-the-hibt-summit-adam-grant#t=1140) The Joy of Being Wrong: Lessons from Daniel Kahneman
- [25:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-08-19-live-from-the-hibt-summit-adam-grant#t=1529) Managing Pivots and Team Dynamics: The Compass Case
- [30:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-08-19-live-from-the-hibt-summit-adam-grant#t=1834) Normalizing Failure and Creative Checkups
- [36:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-08-19-live-from-the-hibt-summit-adam-grant#t=2196) Remote Work, Brainwriting, and Innovation Tournaments
- [44:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-08-19-live-from-the-hibt-summit-adam-grant#t=2657) Government Funding, Confident Humility, and Leadership

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Wharton School (company)
- Think Again (product)
- Give and Take (product)
- Originals (product)
- WorkLife (product)
- Class Pass (company)
- Kickstarter (company)
- Stonyfield Yogurt (company)
- Blackberry (company)
- Blockbuster (company)
- Airbnb (company)
- Compass (company)
- Slack (company)
- Warby Parker (company)
- Dow Chemical (company)
- Bridgewater (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#039 - Brain vs Capital - how to build a business from components (Part 2), with Prof. Günter Faltin, Germany](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-10-11-039-brain-vs-capital-how-to-build-a-business-from-components-part-2-with-prof-gu) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [Reflecting on Founder Mode](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-09-20-reflecting-on-founder-mode) (Oxide and Friends)
- [Tool of the Week Segment | Episode 31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/built-2-scale/2025-12-04-tool-of-the-week-segment-episode-31) (Built 2 Scale)
- [029: Making a Social or Environmental Impact with Our Business, Adam Force of Change Creator](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2016-11-29-029-making-a-social-or-environmental-impact-with-our-business-adam-force-of-chan) (Product Startup)
- [#033 - Elements of building a successful tech business, with (proven) serial entrepreneur Milton Chang of Incubic Venture Fund, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-07-19-033-elements-of-building-a-successful-tech-business-with-proven-serial-entrepren) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)

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