Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Summary

Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Summary

A few years ago, Laure was successful by society's standards, but deeply unhappy inside. She had landed her dream job at Google, was working with a great team, and was climbing the corporate ladder. But something was wrong inside.

Her unhappiness was due to years of quietly suppressing her professional curiosity. Every time she thought of a new path — like enrolling in a university course unrelated to her job, starting a newsletter, or trying out a startup idea — she would stop herself.

She stuck to the straight and steady upward path from school to a senior position. But this predetermined path now felt like a prison.

As Laure says, ignoring her career curiosity is like disconnecting the smoke alarm at home. It may seem harmless at first, but eventually it becomes destructive.

Unfortunately, many of us fail to hear the bells of our inner curiosity because there are two loud scripts ringing in our heads that drag us down a path of professional misery.

The sequel script and the crowd-pleaser script.

The sequel script is the story we tell ourselves that we should keep doing what we have done before, like a movie studio that makes another sequel because of the last hit. We repeat the same formula over and over again.

Hearing the sequel script may provide financial stability, but it will not provide mornings when you wake up excited for your work.

The crowd-pleaser script gives the belief that we must not disappoint others or look foolish. So if we cannot easily explain a change to others, we maintain the status quo.

In other words, we say “no” to unusual paths because they may seem strange to people. Both of these scripts lock us into linear thinking and prevent us from taking the more unpredictable paths that could lead to a truly satisfying career.

It’s like planning a trip to a famous theme park and arriving to find that everything is in shambles.

The rides are down, the paint is peeling, and the staff look like they gave up years ago. And in the meantime, you’ve missed out on better opportunities along the way.

Like stopping in a small town where a music festival is going on and meeting a new friend who invites you to go rock climbing nearby.

You learn that you love rock climbing and want to spend the next few weeks learning to do it. In a professional context, Enlur calls these paths tiny experiments.

Tiny experiments are a way to explore your curiosity without having to quit your job or turn your life upside down. These are small, focused and designed to build momentum. Think of them as low-stakes tests that could have huge payoffs.

Here are some examples:

Writing a newsletter for 30 days. Write a short article every morning on a topic you want to learn about, like investing or artificial intelligence. Cover the latest news or bring up an important idea in your own unique style.

This Tiny Experiment will boost your creativity, speed up your learning and build a great work repository.

Or do a 50-day contribution Tiny Experiment where you help someone on Reddit or Discord every day. Share a piece about a software program, lifestyle or hobby you specialize in. Your posts could plant the seeds for a future coaching career or online course.

Or do this Tiny Experiment: 100 days of video shorts. Share a quick tip on productivity, fitness or mindset every day. Make each video a little different to sharpen your video creation skills and see if you like the process.

Or prepare full meals for friends for 12 weeks. Try out recipes that could be useful for a food truck or restaurant in the future.

And here's a strange but interesting idea: create 3D model designs for 12 weeks. There's an example in the book of a guy who made statues of historical figures with his 3D printer. Gradually, his modeling became so realistic that he started selling them on Etsy and now he makes thousands of dollars a month.

Each Tiny Experiment is time-limited, output-focused, and gradual. They usually last from 15 to 100 days, focus on daily or weekly output, are done without any expectation of results (such as views or likes), and are aimed at gradual improvement.

The main thing is to choose a Tiny Experiment that you want to learn and explore and dedicate yourself to it for a short period of time. Even if it is 100 days, it is like a moment in the entire life of your career. The loss is very small but the gain can be life changing.

You might discover something that seems like work to others but is like play to you. Maybe you'll find your tribe, a community that's excited to hear you out.

Ten years ago, I decided to write a book summary every week for 12 weeks. It connected me to a community of book lovers, lifelong learners, and people who love personal growth. This community taught me many important lessons, and their support is what enables me to do what I love today.

Now, you can add one thing to your Tiny Experiments that will make your learning even faster. Enlur calls this "plus-minus-next."

Take 10 to 15 minutes each week and create a document with three columns. Put a plus sign (+) in the first column, a minus (-) in the second, and an arrow (→) in the third.

In the plus column, write down what went well this week. Example: "I loved learning new video editing techniques."

In the Minus column write down what is not going well. Example: “I am skipping days because I did not schedule time in my calendar.”

In the Next column write down what changes you will make based on these insights. Example: “Making a list of 10 video editing techniques to practice for the next 10 days and getting up 45 minutes earlier each morning.”

This simple weekly rhythm turns your Tiny Experiments into a feedback loop. This helps you learn faster, stay curious, and maintain momentum.

At the end of each Tiny Experiment, you can use your discoveries to determine the next Tiny Experiment. It may be similar or something completely new. The main thing is to never stop experimenting.

That was the main message I learned from Tiny Experiments by Ann Lur Lov. This book was a great wake-up call for me to start trying new things again and exploring new opportunities. I highly recommend this book.

Also read: Unbarbaad by Shobhit Nirwan Book Summary

Also read: Mastery by Robert Greene Summary

Also read: 11 Rules for Life by Chetan Bhagat Book Summary.

Also read: Thibaut Meurisse Master Your Emotions Summar.y

Also read: Can We Be Strangers Again by Shrijeet Shandilya.

Also read: Believe In Yourself Book Summary In Englis.h