We live in a world where the future is unknown and unknowable. Prediction fails us. Yet some people world makers and expert entrepreneurs are able to act, create, and build in uncertainty. How? By following a different logic of thinking & action.

The Effectual Method emerged from the pioneering research of Professor Saras D. Sarasvathy at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Her landmark 2001 article “Causation and Effectuation: Toward a Theoretical Shift from Economic Inevitability to Entrepreneurial Contingency” is among the most cited works in entrepreneurship literature. In 2022, she received the Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research - the highest international honour in the field - for the way her work has reshaped how we understand entrepreneurship and decision-making under uncertainty.

Over the past two decades, Saras and her collaborators have produced more than 200 peer-reviewed papers, building one of the most robust bodies of evidence in the field.

Effectuation shows that those who create enduring ventures or what philosopher Nelson Goodman calls as “world makers” do not rely on forecasts or rigid strategies. Instead, they:

• Begin with what they already have.

• Commit only what they can afford to lose.

• Build trustworthy partnerships.

• Turn surprises into opportunities.

• Focus on what they can control.

This logic of action has transformed both research and practice worldwide.

Put simply: effectuation is a way to act when the future can’t be predicted. World makers - whether they sit on boards, lead teams, start companies, or design a second act don’t wait for certainty. They begin with the means already in hand, stake only what they can afford to lose, invite partners, turn surprises into openings, and stay focused on what they can actually control.

It is a practical, science-backed method for turning uncertainty into new futures in organizations, in leadership, and in life.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.