Hypothesis-Driven Problem Solving

Biological Parallel

Foraging animals form spatial hypotheses about food locations based on memory and environmental cues, then test them sequentially by visiting predicted sites. A squirrel doesn't randomly search—it hypothesizes which cached acorns are most likely recoverable and validates those guesses first. This bet-hedging strategy minimizes energy waste compared to exhaustive search. Hypothesis-driven consulting applies the same energy economics: test high-probability explanations before burning resources on comprehensive analysis.