When we launched the warehouse store at John’s Crazy Socks, it wasn’t a guaranteed success.

Sure, we had a good idea. We hoped it would attract more customers, help us deliver personal service, and generate additional revenue. But we didn’t know. We couldn’t say with any certainty.

That’s because every initiative, every project, every next step in life or business is, at its core, a hypothesis.

We think it will work.
We believe it will help.
We have good reason to try.
But until we put it into motion, test it, and review the results, it’s just an educated guess.

Hypotheses in Action

When we considered opening a warehouse store, we didn’t go in mindlessly. We evaluated the opportunity, challenged our assumptions, and developed detailed operational and marketing plans. We didn’t treat it as a “nice idea.” We treated it as a hypothesis: a theory to be tested with real effort and real data.

Our hypothesis was this: If we opened a warehouse store, then we would reach new customers, offer the kind of joyful, in-person experience people love about John’s Crazy Socks, and create a sustainable new revenue stream.

That mindset shaped our entire approach. We moved forward not with arrogance or certainty, but with humility and curiosity.

Humility said: This might not work, and that’s okay as long as we learn something.
Curiosity said: Let’s find out. Let’s see what happens. Let’s measure and improve.

The Power of Hypothesis Thinking

Framing your actions as hypotheses doesn’t mean you act haphazardly. On the contrary, it pushes you to be more rigorous, to think deeply about your assumptions, define your success metrics, and commit to doing the work.

It also makes failure easier to stomach. If something doesn’t go the way we planned, we don’t have to beat ourselves up. It wasn’t a mistake; it was an experiment. Now we know more than we did before.

That’s progress.

We see this in business all the time, but it applies equally in our personal lives. Maybe you want to change your bedtime routine to sleep better. That’s a hypothesis too: If I go to bed earlier and turn off screens, then I’ll sleep more soundly and feel better in the morning.

Try it. Test it. Reflect. Adjust. Learn.

Why It Matters Especially for Inclusive Entrepreneurs

This way of thinking is compelling for purpose-driven businesses like ours and for entrepreneurs with differing abilities.

John and I didn’t start John’s Crazy Socks with a perfect blueprint. We had an idea and a lot of passion. Every step along the way – our Giving Back program, our commitment to hiring people with differing abilities, our custom sock initiatives- began as a hypothesis.

Would it work?
Would people respond?
Could we make a real impact?

Over time, we’ve tested, adjusted, and improved. The company has grown, and so has the movement around it. We built a business where more than half of our colleagues had a differing ability. We raised over $800,000 for charity. And we showed that inclusion isn’t altruism, it’s just good business.

But it all started with a hypothesis and a willingness to act, to listen, and to learn.

Final Thought: You Don’t Have to Be Right. You Have to Be Curious.

Too often, people get stuck waiting for certainty. They want the perfect answer before taking the first step. But life rarely works that way.

Instead, try this: form a hypothesis. Do the work. Watch what happens.

You may be surprised not just by what you achieve, but by what you discover along the way.

🧦 John and I share stories like this on stage and through our work at Abilities Rising, a platform to empower entrepreneurs with differing abilities. If this idea resonated with you, let’s connect. Visit JohnAndMarkCronin.com to learn more.