Comprehension Quiz

9 questions

0/9

What surprised many listeners about Bezos’ remarks in Turin?

He announced a new logistics program focused only on speed.

He argued that “wandering” is essential for breakthroughs.

He said exploration is a waste of time for serious companies.

He denied that Amazon values efficiency and data.

According to Bezos, why is wandering valuable?

It replaces the need for any execution at all.

It guarantees results quickly in most projects.

It keeps teams busy while budgets are being approved.

It shows humility when you can see the mountaintop, but you can’t see the trail.

How did Bezos describe the relationship between exploration and execution?

They feed each other: building creates data that guides further exploration.

They are mutually exclusive; choose one.

Exploration matters only after launch.

Execution should stop once exploration begins.

What did Dashun Wang’s team analyze to study “hot streaks”?

Quarterly reports from Fortune 500 companies only.

Surveys of startup CEOs across Europe.

Careers of 2,000 artists, 4,000 film directors, and 20,000 scientists.

Patent filings from a single research lab.

Which sequence best predicts a hot streak, according to the research?

Exploit, then explore.

Only execute with no exploration.

Only explore and avoid deadlines.

Explore broadly, then exploit relentlessly.

What metaphor does the article use to describe the two phases working together?

A sports team with rotating captains.

A choir singing in harmony.

Two gears of a machine—remove one and it stalls.

A traffic system with synchronized lights.

What should leaders do once they know the destination?

Continue wandering to avoid commitment.

Pause both phases until the next quarter.

Buckle down: execute efficiently and decisively.

Outsource the work and return to brainstorming.

Which statement best captures the article’s business takeaway?

Protect time for exploration, then shift hard into execution when the target is clear.

Exploration is enough if your slide deck looks impressive.

Execution should always precede exploration on every project.

Quarterly dashboards are the best way to discover new ideas.

Which is the best summary of the article?

Bezos rejects efficiency and argues companies should wander indefinitely to find bold ideas.

The article explains why only strict execution metrics lead to breakthrough innovation.

Bezos argues that exploration and execution are sequential and complementary—Explore, then exploit—a pattern supported by research on creative hot streaks.

Wang’s research proves that artists are more innovative than scientists, which Bezos now accepts.

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Discussion Questions

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If “wandering” is valuable, why do most firms label it “inefficient”? Is the problem the practice—or how it looks on quarterly reports?

Be honest: who gets permission to wander—junior staff or only celebrity founders? What does that say about “humility” at work?

How would you prove to a CFO that exploration reduced the risk of “perfecting the wrong thing”?

Where in your team’s roadmap will you explicitly switch from explore → exploit? What signal will trigger the shift?

Which meetings or metrics currently punish exploration, and how would you redesign them without giving cover to procrastination?

Think of a project that failed. Did you skip exploration—or skip exploitation? What would you change in the sequence next time?

The machine metaphor sounds neat. In your context, which “gear” is missing: curiosity or commitment? Why?

My Notes

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Bezos’s 3-Word Playbook for Ideas: “Explore, then Exploit”

October 31, 2025•5 min read•Business•Upper Intermediate

Comprehension Quiz

What surprised many listeners about Bezos’ remarks in Turin?

According to Bezos, why is wandering valuable?

How did Bezos describe the relationship between exploration and execution?

What did Dashun Wang’s team analyze to study “hot streaks”?

Which sequence best predicts a hot streak, according to the research?

What metaphor does the article use to describe the two phases working together?

What should leaders do once they know the destination?

Which statement best captures the article’s business takeaway?

Which is the best summary of the article?

Match Words to Their Contextual Definitions

Words

Definitions

Match Words to Their Contextual Synonyms

Words

Definitions

Discussion Questions

💡 How AI Discussion Works

If “wandering” is valuable, why do most firms label it “inefficient”? Is the problem the practice—or how it looks on quarterly reports?

Be honest: who gets permission to wander—junior staff or only celebrity founders? What does that say about “humility” at work?

How would you prove to a CFO that exploration reduced the risk of “perfecting the wrong thing”?

Where in your team’s roadmap will you explicitly switch from explore → exploit? What signal will trigger the shift?

Which meetings or metrics currently punish exploration, and how would you redesign them without giving cover to procrastination?

Think of a project that failed. Did you skip exploration—or skip exploitation? What would you change in the sequence next time?

The machine metaphor sounds neat. In your context, which “gear” is missing: curiosity or commitment? Why?

My Notes

Comprehension Quiz

What surprised many listeners about Bezos’ remarks in Turin?

According to Bezos, why is wandering valuable?

How did Bezos describe the relationship between exploration and execution?

What did Dashun Wang’s team analyze to study “hot streaks”?

Which sequence best predicts a hot streak, according to the research?

What metaphor does the article use to describe the two phases working together?

What should leaders do once they know the destination?

Which statement best captures the article’s business takeaway?

Which is the best summary of the article?

Match Words to Their Contextual Definitions

Words

Definitions

Match Words to Their Contextual Synonyms

Words

Definitions

Discussion Questions

💡 How AI Discussion Works

If “wandering” is valuable, why do most firms label it “inefficient”? Is the problem the practice—or how it looks on quarterly reports?

Be honest: who gets permission to wander—junior staff or only celebrity founders? What does that say about “humility” at work?

How would you prove to a CFO that exploration reduced the risk of “perfecting the wrong thing”?

Where in your team’s roadmap will you explicitly switch from explore → exploit? What signal will trigger the shift?

Which meetings or metrics currently punish exploration, and how would you redesign them without giving cover to procrastination?

Think of a project that failed. Did you skip exploration—or skip exploitation? What would you change in the sequence next time?

The machine metaphor sounds neat. In your context, which “gear” is missing: curiosity or commitment? Why?

My Notes

Bezos’s 3-Word Playbook for Ideas: “Explore, then Exploit”