Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M12375

Pivot

Pivot
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

After a core hypothesis is falsified, keep one foot planted and turn the other to change direction.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Gracefully change direction. A pivot preserves validated assets and only changes what needs to be changed.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

That is, pivot: after a core hypothesis fails validation, retain core capabilities and turn toward a new direction. The mechanism is to adjust using what has been learned rather than abandoning everything, reducing the cost of trial and error.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Practice this model in one real situation:

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Source support: Explicit

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