I think we probably all spend a good chunk of time in the shower having imaginary conversations to reimagine history. Maybe I need to spend more time imagining conversations that haven’t happened yet.
I spend a signifiant amount of time imagining other people's arguments and questions rather than sharpening my arguments.
Eventually, the amount of knowledge is the same but I am glad I discovered I iterate over 2 stages of work: 1/ proactive, meaning I lay down a proposal based on a situation and then 2/ simulated reactive, meaning I do my best to discover what the audience will want, answer, contradict.
Once I am done iterating on that, I usually deliver my work to an intended test audience. Then after that, to the target audience.
So yes, imagining conversations that have no happened is really helpful and a skill to build. Just don't rely on that solely, because people are weird and unpredictable and you might very well be off :)
Eventually, the amount of knowledge is the same but I am glad I discovered I iterate over 2 stages of work: 1/ proactive, meaning I lay down a proposal based on a situation and then 2/ simulated reactive, meaning I do my best to discover what the audience will want, answer, contradict.
Once I am done iterating on that, I usually deliver my work to an intended test audience. Then after that, to the target audience.
So yes, imagining conversations that have no happened is really helpful and a skill to build. Just don't rely on that solely, because people are weird and unpredictable and you might very well be off :)