IYDK, YDK
““The mark of a genius is recognizing there are more unknown-unknowns than the things you think you know.””
When I was in middle school, I had a pretty bad habit: I wanted to fit in at all costs.
Thankfully, I didn’t do anything too wild for attention.
But I always tried to look like I knew exactly what people were talking about.
One day, a kid who noticed this asked me a simple question:
“Hey, how do you think Chris Paul played in the All-Star Game last night?”
I liked basketball, but I didn’t even realize the All-Star Game had happened.
Still, I said, “Oh … I mean, I think he played pretty well.”
He replied, “Oh yeah? That’s odd, because he was injured and didn’t play.”
Checkmate. Dingus.
The Point: IYKYK → IYDKYDK
(If you don’t know, you don’t know.)
Even in an age where we have info at our fingertips, people still speak boldly on topics they know nothing about.
Skimming an article or reading a headline doesn’t mean you understand the issue.
This attitude also explains why corporate politics persist because some companies hoard or weaponize information.
Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, saw how this damages culture and eliminated it in a unique way.
In an interview, he explained that Nvidia doesn’t use a strict hierarchy for information flow.
In many traditional structures, people with direct access to the C-suite can lord that “exclusivity” over others.
But in today’s world—where information is largely democratized—it’s outdated to weaponize knowledge inside your company.
And fostering an environment where information is power, will only backfire.
At Nvidia, they release info to everyone at once.
Even when Jeff Bezos was at Amazon, he notably spoke last in meetings — even calling himself the “Chief Slow Down Officer” when it came to something he didn’t understand.
By speaking last, his perspective didn’t sway the entire conversation when they were focused on finding the best solution — not just the solution people thought the CEO would like.
So, If you want an environment that truly seeks the truth, get comfortable saying “I don’t know.”
If people worry too much about looking like they’re “in the know,” you’ll end up with a bunch of liars.
By setting an honest example—saying what you don’t know and being open about it—your team won’t gloss over uncertain details.
You’ll find the real issues faster.
And you’ll solve them sooner.
— and if you’d like to learn more about the things you don’t know yet, head over to readar.ai to find the next book that’s right for you.
Keep seeking,
Michael
PS Meme — if you don’t know, you know