"Yes, And..." Isn't Just For Improv
Entrepreneur Office Hours - Issue #340
Inside the Office
Every month, the Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship team does some sort of team building activity. And this month, we did improv.
Sure, you might read “improv” and picture aspiring comedians standing on a stage pretending to be pirates while arguing with squirrels. And that’s definitely a manifestation of improv, but, at its core, improv is about entertaining and communicating. And it’s about learning to listen, react, collaborate, and build on the ideas of other people.
In other words, it’s a surprisingly useful skill for entrepreneurs.
For example, as we practiced improv together, one exercise, in particular, struck me as particularly valuable for entrepreneurs. So valuable, in fact, that you might consider trying it with a friend.
The person leading our improv session instructed everyone to pair up and have a simple conversation. The catch was that all our responses to each other had to begin with the classic improv phrase: “Yes, and...”
If you’ve ever done any improve before, you surely know what happened. Every conversation naturally expanded. Even when someone suggested something a little odd, nobody judged it. “Yes, and…” encouraged us to explore it and find unexpected ways to build on it.
Then the facilitator changed the rules. This time, every response had to begin with, “Yes, but...”, and the entire energy of the room changed almost instantly as the conversations started feeling like they were trying to move through tar. We made progress, but it was slow and argumentative.
After a few minutes of, “Yes, but…”, the facilitator changed the instructions again. We had to respond to each other by starting every phrase with, “No, because...”
That phrase absolutely killed the conversations. All ideas got rejected before they had a chance to become anything.
Finally, after a few minutes of “No, because…” we returned to “Yes, and...”, and the energy immediately came back into the room.
To be clear, I’m not telling everyone they should run around saying “Yes, and…” to everything. Sure, that works for improv. But entrepreneurs need to be more practical.
Instead, what caught my attention was how little it took to completely change the trajectory of an interaction. We weren’t changing the people or the ideas. We were just changing a couple words at the beginning of every sentence. But those two words completely changed what became possible.
It’s an interesting lesson for entrepreneurs because building companies is, fundamentally, a collaborative activity. You’re constantly responding to teammates, customers, investors, partners, and employees. The words you choose either invite people to keep building with you or (unintentionally) encourage them to stop.
Again, please don’t run around saying “yes” to every idea. Some ideas really are bad ideas. But there’s a meaningful difference between evaluating an idea and prematurely ending the conversation.
The best entrepreneurs I’ve met seem to understand that distinction. They’re remarkably good at creating conversations where ideas have room to breathe before they’re judged. And sometimes, enabling those conversations starts with something as simple as choosing “Yes, and...” instead of “Yes, but.”
-Aaron
Worth Your Time
This week I’ve been thinking about a piece from Wes Kao on what it actually means to be inspiring.
One idea in particular has stayed with me: we tend to describe arguments we agree with as “logical” and arguments we disagree with as “emotional.” In reality, emotion isn’t the opposite of logic. A strong argument with flat delivery is still strong, and a weak argument delivered passionately isn’t automatically going to win over the listener.
For entrepreneurs, this distinction matters. Founders often obsess over presentation skills, storytelling techniques, and stage presence. And they should! Those things matter. You should absolutely work on your delivery. But great delivery can’t rescue a flawed argument.
The best pitches succeed because the underlying logic is sound. The problem is real. The customer insight is compelling. The proposed solution makes sense. The business has a credible path forward. When those pieces fit together, passion amplifies the message. When they don’t, charisma can only carry you so far.
As you prepare your next pitch, please spend at least as much time strengthening the argument as you do polishing the presentation. Investors, customers, and partners may appreciate your enthusiasm, but they’ll ultimately decide based on whether your story holds together.