Tips for Intellectual Honesty

Jonny Burch is the person I text when I’ve built something ridiculous.

For the last 18 months, we’ve been exploring what AI makes possible, and what we’re learning about ourselves along the way. With Near Future transitioning into Mostly Working (and primarily a podcast), it felt like a good moment to write down what I’ve learned from him. Most of it comes back to being intellectually honest with yourself.

1. Distance creates perspective

Back when I had a full-time job, I had a product idea and asked Jonny how to tell whether it was worth building. Less in the user research sense, more whether it deserved my energy. He said your ideas are shaped by the environment you’re in. If you’re hiring a lot, of course a better ATS seems like a good idea. Would it still seem worth it once you’re no longer in that role?

Distance did the same for how I saw myself. I thought of manager vs IC as a one-way door. That’s somewhat true inside companies, but it’s taken me a year to land on a more useful mental model: am I building the product, or the team that builds it? Either way, building is the core.

2. Give yourself permission to build

When you choose how to spend your time, it’s tempting to fill it with things that ‘feel’ like work. Emails, meetings, anything with an outcome attached.

But in an exploratory phase, what I’ve needed most is a few hours to just BUILD. In code, with my hands, whatever. Jonny’s been the cheerleader for this, celebrating every ridiculous thing I text him.

3. Notice your revealed preferences

If you took a week off, what would you spend it doing? The choices you make when nobody’s watching are a clue, and the ones you repeat are worth leaning into.

Whenever a custom web build came along, Jonny jumped at the chance to get into code. I kept drifting toward visual output and creating the tools and workflows behind it.

4. Find someone who balances you out

I used to treat weaknesses as things to fix. Now I focus on the bigger opportunity to lean into your strengths, and counterbalance them with someone whose strengths complement yours.

Jonny’s an extrovert, I’m an introvert. On the podcast and in client meetings, he often speaks first. He’s great at it. I used to think the goal was 50/50 airtime. Actually, the mix lets us each push further in our own direction. Jonny’s the ‘activator’ energising the room with new ideas, and I’m more the editor, bringing structure to where the conversation is heading.

5. Have fun! Seriously!

Omg. When I talk about my work, I default to a stiffer, more serious version of me. Like I’m being interviewed for the most corporate job. The honest version is usually a lot more lighthearted.

And it’s ok to lean into that. Where are you at your most playful? That’s a clue. It doesn’t have to be front and centre, but it should probably have a bigger role in shaping what you put out there.

At least, that’s what I learned from Jonny. If you disagree with anything in this post, you know who to blame. 🫶

Also posted to LinkedIn.