Resourcefulness vs. Resources
Creative Change of Method to Use What We Have
The trap of ‘more’
Our natural tendency is to seek resources for our problems, and possessing more resources indicates ‘success.’ Our culture glorifies busyness and hoarding resources, leading to paralysis.
Undoubtedly, increasing resources is the most direct and short-term way to meet the higher scope or shorter timeline. Yet, the true catalyst for achievement isn’t having more; it’s maximizing what’s already in your hands. This week’s Bearpath public journal explores how resourcefulness, the skill of turning constraints into opportunities, outshines the endless chase for resources.
The myth of "more" breeds overload, dependency, and procrastination. With systems thinking, we learn more about indirect and long-term consequences; having more resources is not necessarily a sure way to sustainable growth. An increase in unwell-managed resources leads to other issues that eventually may degrade the overall system performance. An increase in resources is a sure way not to have sustainable 10X growth; we need something else in conjunction with expanding resources organically.
Resourcefulness is the quiet genius of problem-solving. It’s not about what you lack but about reimagining what you possess. Most of the 10X or 1000X breakthroughs did not come from increasing resources but from the radical transformation of technology or methodology (how we use the same resources more efficiently).
The total number of chemical compounds on Earth has remained almost the same for millions of years. The advance of technology allows human beings to thrive on limited resources. For example, agriculture can feed billions of people with less farming land.
Making better use of what we have
Suppose we are individuals who wish to increase our income. In that case, we could be complaining that we don’t have wealthy parents, no wealthy network, no talent, no job, or we could focus on what we have, e.g. time (assumed we don’t have other complications, which is not the point of this argument). We can:
invest more time → improve our skills
acquire skills in demand → generate value for customers who are willing to pay for our services
increase values → improve income
Businesses face the challenge of dynamic market demands. Traditional options are letting go of opportunities, expanding the production line, and increasing resources. However, when the demands drop or shift, a surplus of undeployed resources becomes a waste and erodes profitability.
If we explore the Project Quality Pyramid, if quality and time remain constant, the increase in scope has to be traded with an increase in resources. If we study the 4Ms in resources (money, manpower, machine, and method), ‘method’ is the key to being resourceful.
Instead of worrying about the lack of skilled manpower, machines, and money, we can focus on what we have and improvise a different approach. A different method of using resources is the use of a different technology. The OLO Business Operating System (BOS) framework has three pillars: people, discipline, and technology. Hence, focusing on methods and technology is the starting point of being resourceful.
Courage to make creative changes
It is normal to feel helpless when we lack the resources to achieve the goal. When operating in a fixed mindset, our minds shut down, we deny most ideas as not feasible, and we soon stop exploring other methods. We paralyze and hope for a miracle that expands resources (manpower, machine, money), and we seldom explore the method and technology.
The U.S. government's sanctions on Chinese technology companies, notably Huawei, serve as a compelling case study in resourcefulness. When faced with restrictions on accessing American semiconductor technology and Google's Android ecosystem, Huawei didn't simply accept defeat. Instead, the company accelerated the development of its own HarmonyOS operating system and invested heavily in domestic chip development.
We would not see pandas today if bears had not changed their herbivorous diet when meat was scarce.
[image credit: Image Creator]
Necessity is the mother of invention. In January 2025, we saw the release of open-source AI from the Chinese lab—Deepseek. Due to the constraints of computing power and access to US technology, the Deepseek team used a bootstrap approach to do R&D under constraints. The outcome was shocking to the AI world with its development cost and timeline, causing NVIDIA's share price to drop by 17% (USD590 billion). This innovative approach will not happen if the R&D lab solely requests more resources.
The 10X + 1% methodology
We can use kaizen to experiment with what works, continue to do more of what works, and avoid doing what hinders our progress. This is a 1% daily improvement. 10X growth and transformation always begins with a radical paradigm shift in our mental model, leading to a change in the structure (system or method) that positively impacts the pattern of events (or habit).
(1) embrace the constraints
Don’t waste energy complaining about things we cannot control
Seek the truth to clarify the expected outcomes (definition of done) and the constraints. Clarity can reduce waste.
(2) think of any crazy options based on what you have (10X)
Think outside the box. Push beyond our comfort zone and challenge our beliefs.
Do not quickly rule out so-called ‘stupid’ ideas. They may spark another new idea.
Focus on the radically different methods of using our existing resources.
(3) collaborate with team learning, seek help from others
The most significant waste in Lean Thinking is unused talent. Our network is one of the best resources.
Be humble and ask for help, ask questions.
(4) experiment with Kaizen PDCA to test which option might work (1%)
Don’t wait for a perfect solution. Experiment with shortlisted ideas and learn quickly from the experimental outcome. Use the feedback loop to generate new ideas quickly.
Although unlimited resources are impossible, being resourceful can help us through challenging times and sustain growth under harsh resource constraints. Training ourselves in resourcefulness is a good practice that prepares us to be more resilient to changes in conditions and the environment.
It’s a mindset shift from “I need more” to “How can I make better use of this?”. By embracing what we have, we can unlock a world of potential. Next time you face a challenge, pause. Look around. The solution might already be in your hands.
Resourcefulness is more sustainable than solely depending on resources.