## Definition Performing small, low-risk experiments on multiple options-in other words, shooting bullets and calibrating—keeps your options open before you commit the bulk of your resources to shooting a cannonball. ## Keep the options open Preserving optionality can make you look stupid in the short term, which means that from time to time you'll have to tolerate people treating you like you're a fool. But if you look at the most successful people in the world, they've all looked short-term stupid on a number of occasions, when they were keeping their options open and waiting for the right time to act.