Unless you’re working with live specimens, most decisions in research aren’t life or death.

But too often, everything gets treated like it’s a make-or-break moment. People hesitate, overanalyze, call unnecessary meetings, and stall on things that could have been figured out in motion. That’s a problem.

Reversible decisions should be made fast. Try something, see what happens, adjust. If it doesn’t work, no big deal - change it. Want to test a new workflow? Run it for a month. Thinking about a different seminar format? Do it and see if people show up. Considering a new way to structure lab meetings? Try it next week.

The issue isn’t making the wrong call. It’s not making a call at all.

Irreversible decisions are different. They need care. Hiring the wrong person, committing to a multi-year research direction, signing onto a major partnerships - those aren’t things you undo easily. That’s where you take your time, gather the right input, and make sure you get it right.

But too often, the balance is flipped. Reversible decisions get dragged out. Irreversible ones get made in a hurry. The result? Wasted time and unnecessary headaches.

Speed isn’t the problem. Getting stuck is.

Academic culture tends to reward caution, but caution without clarity is just paralysis. If you’re waiting for certainty on a decision that can be reversed later, you’re wasting time. And if you’re making permanent calls without thinking them through, you’re gambling with the future.

Next time you’re faced with a decision, ask yourself: Can this be changed later? If yes, stop overthinking and make the call. If not, slow down and get it right.

Good research isn’t about avoiding mistakes. It’s about learning fast.

— João