How to Be Awesome at Your Job

563: Accelerating Your Career by Thinking Like a Rocket Scientist with Ozan Varol

Apr 16, 2020

Ozan Varol, a rocket scientist turned award-winning professor and author, shares his insights on accelerating your career. He reveals how success can hinder growth and why embracing failure is crucial for innovation. Ozan discusses transforming worry into productive preparation and outlines how to leverage boredom to enhance creativity. Drawing from his experience with the Mars rovers, he illustrates the power of strategic self-disruption and the importance of questioning assumptions to unlock career potential.

36:53

Episode guests

Ozan Varol

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Quick takeaways

Embracing failures as learning opportunities encourages personal growth and prevents the blame of external factors for setbacks.

Transforming worry into productive preparation enables individuals to proactively address worst-case scenarios and reduce paralyzing fear in complex challenges.

Deep dives

The Importance of Problem Reframing

Rocket scientists excel in reframing problems to find innovative solutions, a skill illustrated by a pivotal decision made during the Mars Exploration Rovers project. When faced with a failed landing mechanism that delayed their mission, the team was challenged to rethink their approach. Instead of deploying one rover, they opted to send two, which not only doubled their chances of success but also provided more extensive scientific data. This decision showcased how stepping back and addressing the underlying problem can lead to breakthroughs in strategy and execution.

Embrace Competitor's Perspective to Innovate

01:20

Intro

2min

Innovative Problem Solving in Space and Beyond

22min

Embracing Boredom for Creativity

6min

Bridging the Gap Between Evolution and Modern Living

2min

Navigating Success: The Risk of Complacency

2min

Questioning Assumptions for Career Acceleration

3min

Ozan Varol discusses how to make giant leaps in your career by thinking like a rocket scientist.

— YOU'LL LEARN —

1) How success can hinder growth—and what to do about it.

2) How to turn worrying into productive preparation.

3) How rocket scientists see and use failure.

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep563 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT OZAN —

Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned award-winning professor and author. He served on the operations team for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers project, and later pivoted and became a law professor.

He’s the author of Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life. The book is # 1 on Adam Grant’s list of top 20 books of 2020. The book was named a “must read” by Susan Cain, “endlessly fascinating” by Daniel Pink, and “bursting with practical insights” by Adam Grant.

• Ozan’s book: Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life

• Ozan’s podcast: Famous Failures

• Ozan’s website: RocketScienceBook.com

• Ozan’s newsletter: WeeklyContrarian.com

• Get bonus videos by emailing your receipt to Rocket@OzanVarol.com by April 30!

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• App: Readwise

• Tool: Instapaper

• Book: Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant

• Book: Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress by Christopher Ryan

• Past Episode: 072: Unleashing Simplicity with Lisa Bodell

• Past Episode: 176: How to Prevent Terrible Decisions using Red Team Thinking with Bryce Hoffman