Revitalize your team's creativity and overcome negativity with this inspiring guide to building unstoppable momentum for your transformative ideas
In today's high-stakes world of R&D and innovation, the difference between a groundbreaking idea and a stagnant project often rests on your team's approach to criticism and opposition. John Wolpert, a seasoned tech innovator, brings you The Two But Rule: Turn Negative Thinking Into Positive Solutions, a revolutionary guide to turning skepticism into a powerful catalyst for innovation.
In The Two But Rule veteran tech innovator John Wolpert delivers an exciting, hands-on guide to using the principles of Momentum Thinking to get you - and your organization - unstuck. You'll learn how to build unstoppable velocity for your big idea, product, or strategy as you blast through the endless objections and counterarguments that bedevil every innovator and changemaker. Momentum Thinking offers a lifeline for leaders whose teams are trapped in counterproductive criticism cycles, offering a refreshing, easy-to-understand, and engaging alternative to the toxic positivity that plagues so many organizations.
You'll discover how to address criticisms like "But that’s too expensive" or "But that won’t work" and use them to refine your idea and polish it into a gem worthy of attention and implementation. In the book, you'll also find:
- Innovative Problem-Solving Strategies: Learn how to convert team criticism into innovative solutions and opportunities.
- Tips for Countering Toxic Positivity: Navigate beyond blind optimism to embrace diverse perspectives, enhancing problem-solving.
- Engaging and Practical Advice: Implement the intoxicatingly fun "Two But Rule" for immediate positive impact on your team dynamics.
- Ways to Encourage Innovation at Any Level: Foster a culture of positive contribution and creative momentum whether you're managing a small team or leading a large organization.
Table of Contents
Introduction xi
Part 1 Momentum Thinking Essentials 1
Chapter 1 Embracing Your But 3
Our Broken Buts 5
Two But Basics 7
Stating the 1But 9
Stating the Because 11
Stating the 2But 12
Elon Musk’s Fuzzy But 13
Chapter 2 No Buts Allowed 17
The Tragic Buts of Facebook and Lehman Brothers 18
The No- Buts Policy Makes Dumb Ideas Stupid: Ask Coke 19
Spanx, Adobe, and the 1But Winner 20
We Need Bolder Buts 22
Building Braver Buts 24
The Science of Buts 26
Waiting for the Quantum But 27
Saving But- Head 28
Rescuing 1But- Guy 30
Chapter 3 This Book Saved My But 31
Chapter 4 Getting Your But in Shape 35
The Pain in Your But 36
What’s Behind Your But 38
Best Buy’s Big Buts 39
Uber’s Bigger Buts 41
Chapter 5 Advanced Butology 45
Gnarly Buts 45
Chain of Buts 48
Rediscovering Your But 53
Proteins Got a Brand New But 54
Hidden Buts 56
Chapter 6 Bad Buts 59
Lewis and Clark’s Historic Buts 60
Cheating Buts 63
Volkswagen’s Gassy But 64
Don’t Be a Lazy But 66
Don’t Argue with Your But 66
Part 2 The Two But Rule in Practice 69
Chapter 7 The Social Life of Buts 71
Drunken Buts 72
The Gaps in Your But 73
Exposing Your But 75
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Chapter 8 Playing with Your But 79
Timing Your But 82
Butting In 84
The Odious But 85
The Empathetic But 86
The But of an Ass 87
Chapter 9 Old Buts and New Buts 89
Airbnb and Paul Graham’s Old But Breakthrough 90
Runaway Buts 92
The End of Buts 95
Chapter 10 Putting Your But to Work 97
Leaning Into Your But 99
Five Buts 101
The Two But Retrospective 103
Chapter 11 Managing Your But 105
2But Tools 106
Two But Notation 107
Artificial Buts 107
Two-But Buddy 109
Protecting Your Buts 111
Teaching AI to Embrace Its But 112
Part 3 Life’s Big Buts 113
Chapter 12 You and Your But 115
Everyday Buts 116
Fixing the Fan 117
Surviving Parenting Purgatory 118
Changing Careers 120
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Chapter 13 Business Buts 129
Running a Small Business Is a Pain in the But 129
Calendly and the Many Buts of Starting a Business 133
Where to Sit Your Buts 138
Chapter 14 Product and Technology Buts 145
The 2B Product Review 146
Who Owns Your But Online? 146
Product Feature Creep 151
Regulating AI 155
Chapter 15 Buts in Conflict 163
Solon, Father of Buts 163
Big Government’s Budget Buts 168
Chapter 16 Saving the World…with Your But 175
Windy Buts 176
Plastic Buts 178
Chapter 17 The Rear End 193
The Buts We Leave Behind 194
Embrace Yourself 194
All Your Wonderful Buts 195
Acknowledgments 197
About the Author 199
Index 201
