Breakthrough solutions aren’t about what looks good on paper. They’re about what works best in reality.

If you want to improve your odds of discovering the right path to a solution, you need to shift your intention from “knowing” to “learning.”

You learn by testing your ideas in the real world—placing purposeful bets designed around concepts like reframing, smallest executable steps, and affordable losses.

One way to accomplish this is by creating prototypes. Simple and efficient versions of your solution that let you try out ideas, double down on the ones that show the greatest promise, and quickly iterate to make them even better.

Prototypes could be:

• Basic versions of new services or products.
• Pay-per-click ad campaigns and landing pages to gauge market need.
• Slide decks and presentations designed to get direct feedback from existing customers.

Prototyping keeps your risks low and helps you get out of your own way. It’s much easier to take action and be less attached to the outcome when you don’t have to commit a lot of time and money into every idea.

Some of your prototypes will be winners, and others won’t. Either way you’ll learn something. And you’ll have enough time and money left over to try out other options.

The trick to creating a good prototype is finding the right balance between quality and efficiency. It’s not about creating a perfectly polished version. You just need a minimum viable solution to put out into the world, see what works and what doesn’t, and take the appropriate next step based on the results.

What will you do today to start thinking in terms of prototypes versus perfected solutions?

Will you focus on creating testable versions that help you learn from real-world feedback?