Business Philosophy: The question isn’t why? It is why not?
by Roh Krishnan
During my Product team meetings for Unity Central I often hear this from my team, or hell even from random people I’m watching the Warriors game while we’re talking shop: “Why?” And then I respond with “why not?”.
Most things are pretty straight forward. Are you hungry? Then “why not” eat some food? Do we have ingredients in the fridge? No? Do you feel like cooking? “No”, then “why not” go to a restaurant.
Do you have a preference for where you want to eat? No? Then “why not” go eat at this Sushi restaurant down the street.
Funnily enough, distilled down, the logic when writing code is pretty similar, for all my brogrammers out there.
Still, and these are words to live by:
“The only true wisdom is knowing that you know nothing”
Socrates
Socrates paraded around Athens and admitted freely that he knew nothing, and this ties back to “why not”, and he was ultimately murdered for it.
He believed all people were full of shite whenever they talked. Not the best way to make friends but to me it is comical that people get so worked up over these things but it is still a tragedy that he was sentenced to death.
I’ll meet him up in the skies and stars one day.
He would reveal plain bullshit in public settings and forums drawing the disdain of the majority of Athens citizens, who ultimately tried him in court, and what followed was a funeral. He would advice soldiers. He believed all soldiers and kings should be philosophers first.
Still, not many people have that courage, and in the 21st century, not many people have the bravery to say ‘why not’, because you are admitting, with conviction that you don’t know, while also having the stones to do something about it.
It’s a perfect to way to prevent yourself from getting stuck in your own echo chamber, or being paralyzed by analysis.
Socrates felt that everyone else was wrong and he was correct, because he was able to leave his ego at the door and acknowledge his own ignorance.
Leave your ego at the door. Why not?
This is what he called human knowledge.
You won’t find any books written by Socrates because he had nothing to write, or rather nothing he wanted to write.
He would have to know something in order to teach it and he knew nothing besides the acceptance of his own ignorance.
This is the man that was the inspiration for Plato, who was more of a pragmatist, I would say, that ultimately wrote what Socrates said, in conjunction with his own philosophy.
Plato came of age to make sure what his mentor had told him was not in vain.
Anyways, didn’t mean to get too far down the Greek philosophy rabbit hole, but I thought that these quotes and subsequent derivatives would help add credibility to the simple concept that I am trying to convey — which is ‘why not’, or as Nike said #JustDoIt.
I often say this to my teammates as well.
“Just do it, and ask for forgiveness afterwards, and forever and a day, I will protect you.”
or
“Move forward without knowing” — Japanese proverb
I’m writing this on a beautiful Bay Area, California Saturday afternoon, and my girlfriend is urging me to close the laptop, so ‘why not’ hop in the car and go on an adventure?
Special shoutout to our EVP of Design & Aesthetics, my co founder at many other ventures, my dear friend and brother from another mother, Steven Birdwell.
Cheers!
I hope this clears a path for you, your team and your friends. This can be applied anywhere, at anytime. Let me know your thoughts as always!
May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rain fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.
Yours Truly,
