Answer extracted from the 3 Takeaways™ podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How should entrepreneurs approach learning in completely new fields?
Master new fields by consuming every available resource, not just skimming articles or reading one book. Explore every angle—including the arguments against your approach—so you can anticipate objections and understand the full landscape of what you're entering.
Most learners stop at the surface. They read a few articles, maybe a book, spend some time online, and call it done. But this cursory approach leaves blind spots that become dangerous when you're trying to build a business in unfamiliar territory.
Cuban's method is fundamentally different. He uses what he calls RTFM—read the freaking manual—as his north star. This isn't about speed; it's about relentless thoroughness. As he explains in the episode, he goes down every rabbit hole he can find, deliberately chasing information from multiple perspectives.
The key insight is that understanding opposing views strengthens your position. When Cuban learns a new field, he doesn't just gather supporting evidence; he actively seeks the antithesis. He asks: What would someone who thinks this is crazy say? Why would they object? By understanding the counterargument deeply, he can address hesitations and objections before they even surface in conversations with potential partners, investors, or customers.
This approach has served Cuban across radically different industries—from streaming and sports to healthcare with Cost Plus Drugs. Each field required him to become genuinely expert, not just conversant. The difference is exhaustive consumption: in the podcast, he emphasizes that he looks at things from every angle, which means the research never stops until he's mapped the entire landscape.
"I just go down every rabbit hole that I can find. And I try to look at it from every perspective. Is this a good reason to support what I'm trying to do? What's the antithesis of it? What would be somebody who thinks is crazy? Why would they say that? So I try to find every angle because in understanding all angles, I know how to deal with people's hesitancies and objections."
Mark Cuban — Entrepreneur, Investor, and Co-founder of Cost Plus Drugs, an organization bringing transparency to prescription drug pricing. Cuban has built, bought, and transformed businesses across multiple industries including tech, media, sports, and healthcare. He was the former principal owner of the Dallas Mavericks before dedicating his focus to Cost Plus Drugs, which launched in January 2022.
Interestingly, Cuban also discusses in this conversation how business environments are never static—context constantly shifts—which means the learning process itself must be ongoing, not a one-time intensive sprint.
Key takeaways
- Cursory learning (articles, one book, surface research) leaves critical blind spots when entering new fields.
- RTFM—read the freaking manual—means consuming every available resource and following every rabbit hole to build comprehensive knowledge.
- Understanding opposing arguments and antithetical perspectives allows you to anticipate and address objections before they arise.
- True expertise in a new field requires mapping the entire landscape, not just the supporting evidence for your thesis.
See also
What approach enables entrepreneurs to identify business opportunities where others see only obstacles?
Cuban looks at things as business opportunities where other people might see something and think it is crazy. He tries to find things that other people might dismiss as implausible but where real business opportunities exist.
How can a president change the current imbalance of war powers without waiting for congressional reform?
Ultimately it is up to the president himself to fix the dynamic. While lawyers in the executive branch tell the president he has legal authority to take action, the president must decide to exercise that authority.
Why is Jay Johnson concerned about America's ability to respond to the next major national crisis?
Given the internet, social media, and conspiracy theories prevalent in society, another major crisis like 9-11 would quickly devolve into national argument rather than unified response.