From Instinct to Conviction: The Lesson You Only See in Reverse

Moving from instinct to conviction feels like flipping on a light in a dark room. Suddenly, you see things clearly—and you can’t unsee them. That’s what moving from instinct to conviction feels like. And the path to get there? It’s often failure.

Imagine a bridge spanning a wide canyon. At first, your instincts are like the cables—thin, flexible, but untested. You believe they’ll hold, but you don’t know for sure. It’s only when something breaks—or better yet, holds firm under unexpected weight—that the cables transform into steel beams, strong enough to build a foundation. That’s when instinct turns into conviction.

We’ve lived this at Wistia. For years, we had this gut feeling: creative, humorous content would resonate deeply with our audience, even in the B2B space. But when times got tough, we backed off. We stopped leaning into the extra effort and risk that creativity demands. And guess what? The numbers dipped. Engagement faltered. It was only in stepping away that we saw just how essential that instinct was. When we brought humor and creativity back—strategically tying them to our product—the results spoke for themselves. The instinct was right all along; now it’s a conviction.

Here’s the takeaway:

Sometimes, the clearest truths only reveal themselves in hindsight. You have to stop, stumble, or fail to understand what’s truly essential.

Whether it’s a creative strategy, a product decision, or the way you connect with customers, don’t dismiss your instincts too quickly. The gap they leave when ignored might prove you need to turn them into unshakable convictions.

-Chris