Just in case vs Just in time
Avthar's Weekly Wisdom #59 (08/22/2021)
Welcome to edition #59 of Avthar's Weekly Wisdom!
š„ Iām Avthar, a South African technology entrepreneur and learning enthusiast based in New York City. This digital letter is where I share practical wisdom about self-mastery, entrepreneurship, health and happiness, all to help you live better.Ā
My guarantee is that youāll discover one thing that will help you change your life in every edition. As a reminder, you can find all previous editions of this newsletter in theĀ archive. And you can find more of my writings atĀ avthar.com.
Just in case vs Just in time
Hereās a cool framework I picked up as a learning coach at Princeton University that I want to share with you today: itās called ājust in caseā vs ājust in timeā learning.
Most things we learned in school are ājust in caseā. Things like facts, figures and dates -- they often leave us wondering, āWhy am I learning this? When is this ever going to be useful?ā.
In the real world, most learning is done ājust in timeā. Itās when you learn something that helps solve a problem you know you have. Or when you deepen your knowledge about a topic youāre curious about.
Now, ājust in timeā knowledge is not objectively better than ājust in caseā knowledge. Both are useful in the right situation. āJust in caseā knowledge helps to avoid disaster and mitigate the downsides in situations where failure is deadly. A pilotās emergency protocol or a countryās laws for businesses are good examples.Ā
āJust in timeā knowledge is most useful in endeavours where iteration is possible, like mastering a new skill, building a business or learning a new subject in school. In these situations, one mistake wonāt derail you. You can get stuck and find ways to keep going over and over again until you achieve your aim.
While ājust in caseā learning is important to avoid ruin, adopting ājust in timeā learning as your default learning mode can help you better navigate the uncertainty of modern life, achieve your goals and better master yourself.
Asking questions
Ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates and his student Plato believed that all knowledge is answers to questions. By asking the right questions, we can gain the knowledge we desire.
Too often, āJust in caseā learning is like learning the answers to a test you donāt know the questions for.Ā
āJust in timeā learning on the other hand, is like an open-book test, where you know the questions, and just need to find the right information in order to answer the questions on it.
Just in time learning and entrepreneurship
As an entrepreneur, ājust in timeā learning was my best friend. I had to do many things for the first time and ran into many obstacles while trying to build a product that people wanted.Ā
Understanding the difference between ājust in timeā and ājust in caseā learning helped me be at peace with not already knowing the solutions to my problems and embrace the growth mindset that my team and I could learn the skills we needed to overcome the obstacles in front of us and achieve our goals. It also helped me avoid the all too common trap that many smart people fall into: reading, researching and planning, but never taking action because they need to learn more just in case.Ā
Thanks to ājust in timeā learning, I learned how to do things like build and publish iPhone apps, how to get feedback from customers and how to raise money from investors -- all because these gave me solutions to clear problems I faced and needed to solve to keep going.
Try and get stuck
Entrepreneur and investor Sahil Lavingia recently encapsulated a protocol for ājust in timeā learning in a single tweet: āBefore asking for help, try and get stuck.ā
By trying first and getting stuck, you create a clear motive for learning (i.e. helping you get unstuck). Once the motive for learning has been established, you can then look for solutions. And while you may get stuck again after solving your initial problem, you can repeat the process again until you reach your goal.
Using ājust in timeā learning is like trying to find your way while driving at night. You can only see as far as the headlights illuminate, but as long as you keep moving, that will be far enough to get you to your destination.
Learning in the Internet Age
Thanks to Google, you can now find the answer to just about any question you have.
The internet age enables ājust in timeā learning like never before: where curiosity and exploration can guide your learning, rather than an outdated syllabus or curriculum. You can learn the exact thing you need to solve your particular problem and create your own unique learning path to master any subject you choose.Ā
All the information we need is out there, all we need is motivation to find it and apply it. As the ever-quotable entrepreneur Naval Ravikant said, āThe means of learning are abundant. Itās the desire to learn thatās scarce.āĀ
āJust in timeā vs āJust in caseā learning is a powerful concept that you can add to your learning toolkit.
I hope it helps you better navigate the abundance of the internet age and become a better learner and doer!
Tweet of the week
This was a reminder to myself about the need to take ownership over your life.
Video I found fascinating
How Virtual Restaurants Could Become a $1 Trillion Industry: I knew a bit about āvirtual restaurantsā before watching this, but this 10 minute documentary helped me better understand the state of the industry right now and also the massive opportunity in it.
š Thank you again for reading and for your support! I wish you a week of happiness, success and peace!
With gratitude,Ā
AvtharĀ