Neti, Neti: A Mental Model for Clarity Under Uncertainty

I was reading about neti, neti, the Upanishadic idea of arriving at truth by negation: “not this, not that.” In theology, this is also known as via negativa, the belief that understanding deepens not by defining what something is, but by ruling out what it is not. That lens made me reflect on how such a framework might apply to startups, particularly in early-stage investing, where ambiguity is the norm.

At the early stage, products are evolving, teams are still forming, and markets are often shifting. Yet, decisions still need to be made about what to build, who to back, and when to commit. In this context, neti, neti becomes a useful filter. Clarity often emerges not by identifying the perfect answer, but by eliminating what doesn’t fit, a narrative that doesn’t hold, a strategy that doesn’t retain, or a signal that feels misaligned, even if it looks sound on paper.

This mental model is not about chasing certainty. It is about recognising what feels directionally off and narrowing the field through deliberate elimination. What remains may still evolve, although it is often more coherent, more aligned, and more durable.

Often, good decisions begin not with knowing what to pursue, but with recognising what to leave aside. In the fog of uncertainty, subtraction can serve as a path to clarity.