Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M0726

The Dip

The Dip
BehaviorHigh supportCareer Planning
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

In any worthwhile endeavor, after the initial excitement, there inevitably comes a long, painful period of 'the dip' where lack of feedback makes you want to quit. Only by enduring this dip can you become a scarce winner.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Exit judgment. During the dip, ask yourself: Am I quitting because this has no future (a dead end), or because it's too hard (the dip)? If the latter, grit your teeth and persist; if the former, quit immediately.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Innovation faces a resource and validation gap between proof of concept and commercial scale, causing most projects to fail in this 'valley of death'.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Practice this model in one real situation:

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Source support: Explicit

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