The case for talent density in -1 to 0 research: big ideas come from groups
ditzikow · x · 2026-09-17
An article argues that in the earliest research stage ("-1 to 0"), you're more likely to find something worth building in a high-talent-density group than alone.
- It opens with Richard Hamming's line: "In research, if you know what you are doing, you should not be doing it. In engineering, if you do not know what you are doing, you should not be doing it"—highlighting the different kinds of uncertainty in research vs. engineering
- Core claim: the pre-problem-definition phase benefits most from dense talent collisions rather than solo exploration
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