Bird in Hand Principle
Updated 2026-08-05
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
The bird in hand principle is the first of Saras Sarasvathy's effectuation principles. It holds that entrepreneurs should begin with the means they already possess, namely who they are, whom they know, and what they know, and let goals emerge from what those means can create, rather than defining a goal first and then acquiring the resources to reach it. The key qualifier is that it applies under uncertainty, where the goal cannot be reliably specified in advance.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Means inventory: List identity, network, and knowledge you already control before setting any goal. - Goal deferral: Let the objective emerge from what the available means make possible. - Immediate start: Choose the smallest action the current means support today.
Anchor fast decisions
When the future cannot be predicted, goals set in advance are guesses that demand resources you do not have. Starting from existing means removes the resource gap, because the first action is always affordable. Each action then produces new means and new partners, and the goal is progressively shaped by what those accumulated means allow, so the venture co-evolves with its environment instead of betting on a forecast.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- effectuation.orghttps://effectuation.org/the-five-principles-of-effectuationverified
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