Knowledge is information with causal power. Below is a diagram of how knowledge emerges—you’ll likely recognize the pattern (depends on diagram). Simply put data—both qualitative and quantitative—are unstructured. But when we take a perspective, a point of view, we turn data into information. When that information enables us to cause things to happen, it is knowledge. (Do I need a brief example/elaboration?)

The knowledge hill is useful to understand whether we’ve gained the minimum effective knowledge to bring about a desired outcome. For example, if someone asks if we’ve shipped a product, and we respond with “no, but we learned a lot,” we have not reached the critical point in our knowledge. The real world consistently requires us to reach these minima.

The knowledge hill characterizes the process of first learning and then doing. On the left side, we ascend the learning curve, on the right we execute. Our uphill/downhill image is intentional. In general, learning takes more time and effort than executing on what we know. 

Knowledge is information with causal power. Below is a diagram of how knowledge emerges—you’ll likely recognize the pattern (depends on diagram). Simply put data—both qualitative and quantitative—are unstructured. But when we take a perspective, a point of view, we turn data into information. When that information enables us to cause things to happen, it is knowledge. (Do I need a brief example/elaboration?)

The knowledge hill is useful to understand whether we’ve gained the minimum effective knowledge to bring about a desired outcome. For example, if someone asks if we’ve shipped a product, and we respond with “no, but we learned a lot,” we have not reached the critical point in our knowledge. The real world consistently requires us to reach these minima. 

Knowledge Hill.pdf

Knowledge Hill - thumb.jpeg

The knowledge hill characterizes the process of first learning and then doing. On the left side, we ascend the learning curve, on the right we execute. Our uphill/downhill image is intentional. In general, learning takes more time and effort than executing on what we know. 

Ryan Singer