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Welcome to another episode of Adoption Curve! This week, we're diving into self-serve content and learning culture to understand how they can transform leadership development.
Meet our Guest
Matt is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and former Air Force Instructor Pilot with 2500 flight hours. After leaving active duty, he spent over 4 years leading the training and development team at SpaceX before founding Better Every Day Studios in 2021.
Matt has continued his career in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a Lt. Colonel supporting Space Systems Command. Matt’s 20 years of experience working with high performing teams all over the world has given him a unique perspective on what it takes to lead in this ever changing world. He has previously shared these lessons with organizations like the XPRIZE Foundation, Lockheed Martin, and NASA.
He and his team and Better Every Day Studios are now on a mission to train better managers, build better companies, and create a better world.
In This Episode
🧠 Identify the Core Problem: Focus on solving what truly matters.
❓Question Constraints: Identify and challenge everything that might be preventing progress.
💡Minimal Solutions for Maximum Impact: Build only what’s necessary.
🛠️ Accelerate Execution with Tight Deadlines: Drive rapid results by setting focused timelines.
The 4-Step Guide to Fast Tech Adoption
Background context: Matt Gjertsen’s career is a masterclass in transformation. Throughout it, he discovered that traditional training and tech implementation methods often fall short due to some key mistakes. Over-engineering and endless tweaks can stall progress and dilute impact. His journey led him to embrace a more agile, results-focused approach that prioritizes identifying the core problem and acting fast.
Matt’s insights matter because they challenge the status quo—moving away from the luxury of perfection towards a mindset where delivering results is paramount. This approach has helped countless organizations break free from analysis paralysis and achieve measurable improvements in user adoption and training effectiveness.
🎤 "Engineers love to engineer. They’ll always find a way to make things a little better, but that’s not the point. The point is to build and deliver results."- Matt Gjertsen
Key Insight #1: Identify the Core Problem
Matt emphasizes that every successful adoption initiative starts with pinpointing the single most critical challenge. By defining the problem clearly, you avoid getting lost in unnecessary details and can focus on what truly drives impact. This clarity sets the stage for all subsequent actions.
🎤 "The number one thing is figuring out what your boss and key stakeholders care about—because that’s your real starting point." – Matt Gjertsen
Key Insight #2: Question Constraints
Instead of piling on extra features and processes, Matt advises creating only what is necessary. This lean approach prevents the project from becoming overcomplicated and reduces the ongoing burden of maintenance. When you build only what solves the core problem, every resource is maximized.
🎤 "Every extra element you add creates a tail of upkeep. Focus on what directly addresses the challenge." – Matt Gjertsen
Key Insight #3: Minimal Solutions for Maximum Impact
Instead of piling on extra features and processes, Matt advises creating only what is necessary. This lean approach prevents the project from becoming overcomplicated and reduces the ongoing burden of maintenance. When you build only what solves the core problem, every resource is maximized.
🎤 "Every extra element you add creates a tail of upkeep. Focus on what directly addresses the challenge." – Matt Gjertsen
Key Insight #4: Accelerate Execution with Tight Deadlines
Time is a powerful ally in transformation. Matt recommends setting short, realistic timelines—like a 30-day deadline—to force prioritization and ensure momentum. This urgency helps teams cut through distractions and achieve quick wins that drive user adoption.
🎤 "When you set a 30-day timeline, you force your team to focus on what’s essential and deliver results fast." – Matt Gjertsen
Free Adoption Template: First Principles Problem Solving Framework
The Problem: Organizations often overcomplicate tech implementations by focusing on endless improvements instead of tackling the real issues that hinder adoption.
The Solution: The First Principles Problem-Solving Framework helps you streamline your process by breaking it down into four actionable steps:
1. Identify the Core Problem
2. Question Constraints
3. Create Only What’s Necessary
4. Shorten the Timeline
Why this works: 🎤 "By focusing on the essentials and eliminating unnecessary steps, you can drive adoption faster and achieve measurable outcomes." – Matt Gjertsen
First Principles Problem Solving
Cut through the complexity and focus on the core problem to streamline your projects and avoid unnecessary work.
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