Intellectual CrossFit
Force multiple thoughts, challenge the first, and ground abstractions in examples.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 97%
Intellectual CrossFit is a deliberate thinking workout for overcoming the weakness of the first idea. Begin by recording the immediate interpretation, then force yourself to produce several additional thoughts rather than stopping at the first plausible answer. Question the analogy you initially selected, search for alternative comparisons, and use tangible cases to fill gaps in understanding. Continue expanding or revising the idea until you can explain it clearly to another person. The process combines divergent thinking with concrete grounding: multiple thoughts prevent premature closure, while examples prevent abstraction from becoming empty speculation. Its output is a more robust explanation, a better sense of magnitude, and a visible record of how the original assumption changed.
Origin
Alex Lieberman described this as his personal method for thinking through NFTs and other abstract subjects on Marketing Against The Grain.
Core principles
- 01The first thought is rarely the best thought.
- 02Multiple interpretations reduce premature certainty.
- 03Concrete examples make abstractions testable.
- 04A clear explanation is evidence of understanding.
How to run it
- 1
Capture the first thought
Write the immediate answer, analogy, or interpretation without treating it as final.
Pro tip Keep it visible so later revisions can be compared against it.
Watch out Do not confuse speed or familiarity with quality.
- 2
Force alternatives
Generate at least two or three additional thoughts about the same question.
Pro tip Make each alternative genuinely different rather than a rewording.
Watch out Stopping after one plausible thought defeats the exercise.
- 3
Interrogate the analogy
Ask whether the first comparison captures the full object or only one layer of it.
Pro tip Identify exactly where the analogy stops working.
Watch out A familiar analogy can hide unfamiliar implications.
- 4
Ground with cases
Create tangible examples that show how each interpretation would operate in the real world.
Pro tip Use ordinary objects, transactions, or behaviors whenever possible.
Watch out Examples should test the idea, not merely decorate it.
- 5
Expand the implications
Trace what becomes possible if the interpretation is correct, including second-order business effects.
Pro tip Consider changes in scale, infrastructure, incentives, and behavior.
Watch out Label speculative implications rather than presenting them as facts.
- 6
Teach it back
Explain the resulting model clearly enough that another person can follow the progression.
Pro tip Return to the unclear areas and generate more examples if the explanation remains unsatisfying.
Watch out Fluent jargon is not the same as clear understanding.
In the wild
Alex first considered comparing NFTs with websites or Google Images. He then expanded the comparison to yard sales, trading cards, receipts, mortgages, and other records of ownership. That progression shifted the object of analysis from collectible images to a potentially broad infrastructure for digitally recorded ownership.
→ The larger comparison revealed indexing, privacy, collateralization, and marketplace implications hidden by the first analogy.
Common mistakes
Polishing the first thought
Improving the wording of an initial idea is not the same as generating distinct alternatives that can challenge it.
Remaining abstract
If no tangible cases can be produced, the thinker may be repeating terminology without understanding the mechanism.
Expanding without testing
Speculating about implications without checking analogies or examples produces imaginative but fragile conclusions.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for entrepreneurs, marketers, and analysts evaluating emerging technologies or ambiguous business questions.
Not ideal for
It is excessive for routine decisions where the cost of additional analysis exceeds the stakes.
From the transcript
“I always find like my first thought is not the best thought. So like I have to force the process of getting three or four…”
“the more that I can think of tangible cases, examples for trying to understand something, when I don't feel like I can wrap my head…”
From the episode
Framework Thinking for Success With Alex Lieberman
Alex Lieberman