Anne-Laure Le Cunff Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World

About

We live in an age obsessed with achievement, where progress is measured in targets hit and milestones ticked off. In this refreshing and quietly radical talk, cognitive neuroscientist and entrepreneur Anne-Laure Le Cunff, founder of the global learning community Ness Labs, invites us to step outside that treadmill. Drawing on ideas from her forthcoming book Tiny Experiments, she argues that curiosity, play and small-scale experimentation offer a more humane and effective path to growth than rigid goal-setting and relentless optimisation.

Blending neuroscience, practical tools and real-life examples, she shows how running tiny experiments in our work, relationships and daily routines can reduce pressure, spark creativity and build genuine momentum. Instead of chasing perfect plans, we learn to test, adapt and discover what actually works for us.

This is an energising invitation to trade perfectionism for exploration, turn uncertainty into a source of insight, and design a life that feels lighter, freer and more alive.

As Oliver Burkeman notes, Tiny Experiments is profound, practical and generous showing how we can jettison arduous attempts at self-improvement in favour of energising adventures. Tiago Forte calls it a paradigm-shifting exploration of how to apply the techniques of science to the messy domain of modern life, while Ali Abdaal praises it as a powerful guide to embracing curiosity and developing an experimental mindset.

Anne-Laure Le Cunff is a cognitive neuroscientist and writer whose Ness Labs community has inspired over half a million readers to rethink productivity and learning. A former Google strategist turned researcher at Kings College London, she has been featured in The Guardian, BBC Worklife and The New York Times for her pioneering work on mindful productivity, creativity, and the neuroscience of curiosity.A Q&A Session will follow.