When I read the below article "How Great Entrepreneurs Think" it felt like it really clicked with me. It describes the difference between effectual and causal planning, which are kind of like bottoms up and top down planning.
Sarasvathy concluded that master entrepreneurs rely on what she calls effectual reasoning. Brilliant improvisers, the entrepreneurs don’t start out with concrete goals. Instead, they constantly assess how to use their personal strengths and whatever resources they have at hand to develop goals on the fly, while creatively reacting to contingencies. By contrast, corporate executives—those in the study group were also enormously successful in their chosen field—use causal reasoning. They set a goal and diligently seek the best ways to achieve it. Early indications suggest the rookie company founders are spread all across the effectual-to-causal scale. But those who grew up around family businesses will more likely swing effectual, while those with M.B.A.’s display a causal bent.
https://www.effectuation.org/?x-portfolio=how-great-entrepreneurs-think
My sense is that there's a lot of causal/top down planning in EA.
In what ways and in what areas might it make sense for EA to adopt a more "effectual" approach, as described in the article?
Just saw this AnnaSalamon comment on LessWrong about generativity & trustworthiness. Excerpt: