p.30 One of the most powerful elements... is the norm for using predictions in plans as a basis for judging...
performance.
p.89 The essence of strategic experiments is that much more is unknown than known. No amount
of research and planning can resolve the unknowns in advance. The future of an emerging industry is simply unknowable... The
winner is not necessarily the company that starts with the best plan. Rather, it is often the one that learns and adapts the
quickest.
p.103 There is wisdom in the adage, "What gets measured gets done."
p.152 A simple tool for communicating cause-and-effect stories is the influence diagram
(also called bubble-and-arrow diagrams). The concept is straightforward: by showing an arrow leading from an action to an
outcome, the diagram implies a causal connection between them... The influence diagram can be taken one step further to convey
subsequent outcomes... Influence diagrams show chains of causality from action to ultimate outcome.
p.154 Influence diagrams can grow excessively large. To avoid this, capture in the diagram only the most
important elements of how the business is expected to work. Still, for the diagram to be useful, it is best to add a few extra
cause-and-effect links that capture important elements of competitor behavior... At minimum, the influence diagram
should capture the critical unknowns: elements of the theory of your business that, if incorrect, could
radically alter or break it.
p.188 Strategic experiments face critical unknowns. No amount of research can resolve these unknowns
before the business is launched. Therefore, success depends more on the ability to experiment and
learn than on the initial strategy.
