Nir Eyal

can't figure it out.

They can't see the possibility that the surgeon was the boy's mother because typically 80%, statistically 80% of surgeons are men.

20% are women.

That's a reality, right?

That's a fact.

But we can't see it.

We can't even imagine that possibility because of our prior beliefs, because our prior experiences.

So when you think about something as simple, and once you know the answer, like, duh, of course it's the boy's mother, obviously.

And by the way, men and women, if you don't get this, if you're listening, don't feel bad.

It doesn't mean that you're a sexist or anything.

The same proportion of men and women don't get this puzzle, so it doesn't mean that.

It just means that your prior beliefs have a tendency to predict things.

Future events.

So if you've seen that most surgeons are men, you will predict that most surgeons will be men in this scenario that I just outlined.

So why is this so important?

Think about what this means for you as an entrepreneur.

That if you can't even imagine a potential future, if you can't see a reality, you can't work towards it because you don't believe it.

So what great entrepreneurs are able to do, they suspend reality.

I mean, think about how ridiculous it is when you started your company, right?

And you probably told people about the company.