Jasper Y.'s Key Ideas from Build an A-Team
by Whitney Johnson

Seven techniques accelerate learning and promote growth across the S curve:

1. Embracing smart risks,
2. Leveraging distinctive strengths,
3. Imposing constraints,
4. Battling entitlement,
5. Stepping back to grow,
6. Accepting failures, and
7. Remaining discovery-driven.

• Recruit people excited to learn who bring diverse strengths to start fresh curves.
• Seek managers who spot talent, accelerate learning, and jump employees to new challenges.
• Evaluate capacity plus soft skills.
• Check emotional expectations of new hires.
• Disrupt traditional hiring practices.

Treat all new to a role as curve novices, regardless of experience. Convey vision and needs clearly. Invest in frequent, honest communication about expectations and development.

Apply accelerants relevant to their stage. Consistently evaluate momentum and team fit to address issues promptly.

Keep 70% of employees in the productive sweet spot through constraints reintroducing friction, providing challenges with real risk of failure, and valuing their contributions.

Avoid forgetting and stagnating masters.

• Proactively help top performers disrupt new curves.
• Applaud achievements, identify new opportunities, and deliver support.
• Overcome self-entitlement.
• Think creatively about slingshotting people to stimulate innovation.
• Disruption requires facilitation.

Progress levels out at mastery. Boredom and stagnation lower productivity. Facilitate jumps to new curves.

Deploy masters as mentors and trainers for novices. Battle entitlement.

Failure is a tool for progress. Change the culture around it.