Originally shared in our April 2026 Top of Mind Newsletter.
Most of us believe that the path to getting better is to work harder at the things we do. Eduardo Briceño — growth mindset researcher, former CEO of Mindset Works, and one of the most-watched TED speakers on the science of learning — challenges that assumption directly. In The Performance Paradox, he makes the case that focusing exclusively on performing is actually what stalls our growth.
The real advantage, he argues, belongs to those who deliberately alternate between two zones: a Performance Zone, where we execute, and a Learning Zone, where we experiment, make mistakes, and develop. For anyone working to cultivate entrepreneurial thinkers, this framework examines what “getting better” actually looks like, and why building the habit of learning-while-doing may be the most underrated mindset skill we can teach.