Suggest edit — 17-09-28 Frontier Conversations

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title: "17-09-28 Frontier Conversations"
visibility: public
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# 17-09-28 Frontier Conversations

Category: [[idea-lists-upon-request|Idea Lists (Upon Request)]]

[Read the original document](https://docs.google.com/document/d/12gQKHyf-lXuuhFdDfMFZM8nlboANClGN6JslJpL1DLE/edit?usp=drivesdk&sa=D&ust=1596495076886000&usg=AOvVaw1z9QV-knsPo_u5U5oFPPVd)

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How do we consistently have conversations that make progress?

1. Just start talking about your frontier - open the conversation with it. Inferential distance be damned.
2. Leading Questions
   1. What confuses you about it?
   2. What do you wish you could do with that that’s still hard?
3. Apply Systematizing Creativity
   1. Recombine current idea with something novel
   2. Transfer idea to a new domain
4. Abstract until there’s power
5. Notice the language patterns of someone ‘catching you up to speed’.
   1. Pivot to a topic you can help create knowledge in.
   2. Say something controversial.
6. Move towards contrarian beliefs / knowledge. Regardless of whether it’s frontier, it’s at least valuable social proof over something few have thought about.
7. Make the conversation practical - here’s a problem I’m working on (immediately on own frontier)
8. Talk about idea spaces that are novel and so unexplored
9. Make it explicit - let’s sit down and figure out x.
10. Know the person’s frontier and start talking about novelty around it.
11. What’s one thing life trying to teach you right now?

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*Source: [Original Google Doc](https://docs.google.com/document/d/12gQKHyf-lXuuhFdDfMFZM8nlboANClGN6JslJpL1DLE/edit?usp=drivesdk&sa=D&ust=1596495076886000&usg=AOvVaw1z9QV-knsPo_u5U5oFPPVd)*