A good gut feeling is a secret weapon

As so often he does, Luke Johnson hits the nail on the head:

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My observations of successful company owners lead me to believe that a highly analytical attitude can be a drawback. At critical junctures in commercial life, risk-taking is more an act of faith than a carefully balanced choice. Frequently, such moments require decisiveness and absolute conviction above all else. There is simply no time to wait for all the facts, or room for doubt. A computer program cannot tell you how to invent and launch a new product. That journey involves too many unknowns, too much luck – and too much sheer intuition, rather than the infallible logic that machines deliver so well. As Chekhov said: “An artist’s flair is sometimes worth a scientist’s brains” – entrepreneurs need right-brain thinking

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FT.com / Columnists / Luke Johnson - A good gut feeling is a secret weapon

"Intuition is at its most powerful when combined with confidence. If you possess this mighty duo of talents, you can carry others with you, even though you cannot necessarily provide concrete evidence that you are right. If you are to launch projects before others, invent new products or seize opportunities ahead of the pack, you must be willing to act – at least in part – on a hunch. "

As Billy Wilder, the Hollywood director, said: “Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else’s.”