Tiny Experiments

How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World

By: Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Narrated by: Anne-Laure Le Cunff

"I loved this profound, practical, and generous book." —Oliver Burkeman

A transformative guide to rethinking our approach to goals, creativity, and life itself from a neuroscientist and entrepreneur, and the creator of the popular Ness Labs newsletter

Life isn’t linear, and yet we constantly try to mold it around linear goals: four-year college degrees, ten-year career plans, thirty-year mortgages. What if instead we approached life as a giant playground for experimentation? Based on ancestral philosophy and the latest scientific research, Tiny Experiments provides a desperately needed reframing: Uncertainty can be a state of expanded possibility and a space for metamorphosis.

Neuroscientist and entrepreneur Anne-Laure Le Cunff reveals that all you need is an experimental mindset to turn challenges into self-discovery and doubt into opportunity. Readers will replace the old linear model of success with a circular model of growth in which goals are discovered, pursued, and adapted—not in a vacuum, but in conversation with the larger world.

Throughout the book, you will ask hard questions and design simple yet meaningful experiments to find the answers. You will learn how to break free from the invisible cognitive scripts that shape your life, how to harness the power of imperfection, and how to make smarter decisions when the path forward is unclear.

This is a guide to:
• Discover your true ambitions through conducting tiny personal experiments
• Dismantle harmful beliefs about success that have kept you stuck
• Dare to make decisions true to your own aspirations
• Stop trying to find your purpose and start living instead

Tiny Experiments offers not just practical tools to make sure our most vital work gets done, but a guide to reawakening our curiosity and drive in a noisy, busy, disaffected world, so that we can discover and pursue our most authentic ambitions while making a meaningful contribution.


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF containing the Experimentalist Toolkit, Reflection Guide, Glossary and Acknowledgments from the book.

Unfortunately, painful to listen to

I understand the intention was to “walk the talk” and narrate the book herself, but I couldn’t make it to the end because of the accent. With one hour left, I could hardly focus on the content. And I’m not even a native English speaker. Kudos for the effort, but the final result just didn’t work.

A Refreshing Take on Growth and Creativity!

As a long-time Ness Labs member, I was thrilled to finally meet Anne-Laure Le Cunff in person and to be part of the small group that got to hear the name Tiny Experiments first. It was amazing to see how perfectly the title captured the essence of her work and writing over the years.

The book's focus on embracing curiosity, imperfection, and small-scale experiments really resonated with me—especially since I often try out small projects just to see what sticks. The idea of learning in public and sharing progress, even when it's not perfect, was a powerful reminder that growth is a process, not a destination.

I also appreciated the practical tips for making better decisions and challenging limiting beliefs without feeling overwhelmed. Anne-Laure's approach to iterative learning and embracing uncertainty makes the advice feel doable and encouraging rather than intimidating.

If you're looking for a book that celebrates curiosity and experimentation without the pressure of rigid goals, Tiny Experiments is a must-read.

Had to switch to the print version

I found it difficult to stay focused on the material because of the narrator's (author's) accent. Switched to the print version of the book.

Curiosity Over Certainty: A Listener’s Gratitude

Listening to Tiny Experiments felt like an invitation, not to master anything, but to explore, to wonder, and to try. I’m especially inspired by Anne-Laure’s choice to record in English, her second language. It gives me courage to someday do the same as one of my own tiny experiments.

Her framing to prioritize curiosity and community over convention, certainty, and continuity has been transformative for me. So much so that I started my own podcast Nevermet Jen just yesterday, with my parents as my very first guests! I want to get better at listening, at communicating in conversation, and this spirit of small, sincere steps toward growth is something I credit directly to Anne-Laure’s work.

Thank you, Anne-Laure, for everything you do — your research, your risks, and your reminders that experiments, especially tiny ones, can change our lives.

The map to sustainable growth that feels like progress. Life changing to say the least!

If you’re growth minded and goal oriented, it’s likely that you need this book like a drink of water on a hot day. You know you’re on a path to burn out, and this book will be the way you reset and reframe. I’m so thankful for the authors curiosity, focus on incremental changes and observation of our own lives to see what’s really working and what we don’t want to continue pursuing, regardless of what society thinks of that. This book has been so empowering, and I have shared it with many of my colleagues and friends. Absolutely brilliant!