When people tell me it can’t be done, I don’t ask why not. I ask: Have you tried?

Most people jump to conclusions in their heads. The problem with that? Your head gives you no feedback. Trying does. That’s the only real difference between knowing and not knowing.

When I was running Netek, my affective computing startup, we had a stubborn problem: getting consistent emotional reads from cameras when the lighting wasn’t controlled. We discovered the most reliable hardware was Apple: iPhones and MacBooks. But we didn’t control the hardware. We controlled the software.

I told my team to build a software solution. My Chief Scientist said it wouldn’t work.

Have you tried?

No.

A few days later, while browsing Medium late at night, I came across a post where someone had published open-source code for enhancing camera lighting in software. I sent it to my CTO and CSO that night and asked to meet first thing in the morning. The code didn’t work directly for us, but it put us on the right path. We built our own solution. It worked.

That’s the thing about trying. You don’t need to find the answer. You just need to find the next step. And you can’t find the next step in your head.

The people who say it can’t be done are usually the ones who haven’t tried. Don’t let their conclusions become your constraints.

Bottom line: Most people and organizations are waiting for certainty before they move. Trying is how you manufacture it.