Why Try To Guess When We Can Ooch?

byrichardgb

2K followers

Updated 2 months ago

If you’re from the UK (as I am), you might think "to ooch" refers to a military disciplinary process designed to avoid formal legal proceedings.

Interestingly, the English Thesaurus even lists "ooch" as a quirky interjection akin to "oh dear," “oops” or "ouch."

But let's leave that aside for a now because there's another meaning of "ooch" that’s far more practical for most of us—especially when it comes to decision-making.

In the southern United States, "ooch" has evolved into a verb meaning "to test the waters" or make a small, cautious movement in a direction before fully committing.

This approach might be thought of putting something off, but really it's about being smart with your decisions, experimenting before diving in.

The term gained some traction thanks to Chip and Dan Heath’s book "Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work" where "ooching" is championed as a strategy for reducing uncertainty.

Instead of making a blind leap, you take a small, controlled step to see what happens.

It’s the equivalent of dipping your toe in before taking the plunge.

So, why is this relevant?

Because most of us are terrible at predicting the future.

Whether in business or life, we’re often too confident in our forecasts.

Entrepreneurs, however, naturally "ooch."

They don't spend endless hours on business plans—they experiment.

Successful entrepreneurs focus on what they can control rather than what they predict.

Scott Cook, founder and chairman of Intuit supports this idea and recommends "leadership by experiment" instead of relying on "politics, persuasion, and PowerPoint."

Consider the traditional job interview.

We spend hours trying to predict a candidate's success through questions and impressions.

Yet, studies show interviews are less reliable than actual work samples or peer ratings.

What if instead of guessing, employers "ooch" by offering a short-term consulting gig?

This way, they can observe real performance rather than relying on flawed predictions based on unreliable answers to flawed questions.

So, why guess when you can know?

The thing is that by ooching, we turn uncertainty into knowledge, one small step at a time.

It’s a strategy that keeps us from jumping in headfirst, only to find out later that the water's too deep—or too shallow.

So ooching is a cautious approach and it's a smart way to gather data in preparation for making more committed decisions in life and business.

Examples of Ooching

Here are some practical examples of ooching across different areas:

1. Joining Wealthy Affiliate to Start a Business

• Example:
  Instead of quitting your job to launch a full-scale business, start with a side hustle online using Wealthy Affiliate’s comprehensive training and support. Grow your business while you're learning. This allows you to test the market, gather feedback, and refine your business model before making a larger commitment.
• Benefit:
  You can validate your business idea with minimal financial risk and avoid jumping into a venture full tilt before you are ready.

2. Product Development

• Example:
  Before launching a new product, create a prototype or a minimum viable product (MVP) and release it to a small segment of your target audience. Alternatively, find an affiliate product to promote. Gather user feedback and make improvements to the idea before deciding to develop and launch your own full product.
• Benefit:
  You save resources and time by ensuring the product meets customer needs before developing your own product and committing to mass production.

3. Launching a New Marketing Campaign

• Example: Rather than rolling out a large-scale marketing campaign across all channels, test your campaign on a smaller, targeted group. Monitor the results, tweak the messaging, and scale up gradually.
• Benefit: You minimize the risk of wasting resources on ineffective marketing efforts and improve your strategy based on real-world data.

4. Changing Careers

• Example:
  If you’re considering a career change, start by taking a course or volunteering in the new field. You could also take on a part-time job or freelance work in the area you're interested in.
• Benefit:
  This lets you experience the new career path without abandoning your current job, helping you make a more informed decision.

5. Relocating to a New City

• Example:
  Before permanently moving to a new city, spend a few weeks or months there to get a feel for the area. Rent a place short-term, explore different neighbourhoods, and see how you like the area.
• Benefit:
  This reduces the risk of relocation regrets by giving you a clearer picture of what living there would actually be like.

6. Trying a New Hobby

• Example:
  Instead of buying all the gear for a new hobby, try renting or borrowing equipment first. Take a few classes or join a beginner's group to see if you enjoy it.
• Benefit:
  You can explore the hobby without a large initial investment, ensuring it's something you’ll stick with, before spending a lot of money.

Each of these examples highlights how ooching helps you gather real insights and reduce risk before making significant commitments.

By testing small and learning as you go, you make smarter, more informed decisions.

Summary: How To Start Ooching

Starting to "ooch" is all about shifting your mindset from planning and predicting to experimenting and learning before you commit to diving deeper.

Here’s a simple guide to help you get ooching:

1. Identify Areas of Uncertainty

Look at the decisions you're facing, whether in business, personal life, or even day-to-day tasks.

Where do you feel uncertain or hesitant?

These are prime opportunities to start ooching.

2. Break Down the Decision

Instead of making one big decision, break it down into smaller, manageable steps.

Think of each step as an experiment that gives you more information to help guide your next move.

3. Design a Small Experiment

Come up with a low-risk way to test your idea or decision. For example:

• Business
  Launch a small pilot project before committing to a full-scale rollout.
• Career
  Take on a short-term freelance gig or a side project before switching jobs.
• Personal Life
  Try out a new hobby or activity on a trial basis before investing in all the gear.

4. Gather Feedback

After you've conducted your experiment, gather feedback.

• What did you learn?
• What worked?
• What didn’t?
• What will you do differently next time?

Use this information to refine your approach.

5. Iterate and Adjust

Based on the feedback, make adjustments and try again if appropriate.

The idea is to keep the process cyclical—experiment, learn, adapt, and repeat.

6. Embrace the Learning Process

Understand that not every experiment will be a success, but each one is an opportunity to learn.

The more you ooch, the better you'll become at navigating uncertainty.

7. Scale Up Gradually

Once you've gathered enough insights and confidence from your ooches, you can gradually scale up your efforts.

By this point, you’ll have a clearer sense of direction and reduced risk.

8. Adopt an Ooching Mindset

Make ooching a habit in your decision-making process.

Whenever you face uncertainty, ask yourself, "How can I test this on a small scale first?"

By starting to ooch, you’ll move away from relying solely on predictions and instead gather real-world data that will guide you more effectively.

This approach not only reduces risk but also increases your chances of success.

And Finally

If you’ve read this far, do you agree or disagree?
Share your ooching experience to help others make their own better informed decisions.
;-)
Richard