Alec Litowitz
Coming September 15, 2026
Launching across all major outlets
A Note from Alec
"I wrote this book for people who are already working hard and thinking hard but feel the ground shifting under them. Over thirty years in markets and organizations, I've seen that intelligence and experience aren’t enough when conditions change quickly. What matters is a better way of deciding: a process that can absorb uncertainty, learn from mistakes, and improve over time. The Adaptability Quotient is my attempt to lay that process out so you don’t have to build it the hard way, trade by trade or crisis by crisis."
Early Praise
- Steven Kotler, New York Times bestselling author of The Rise of Superman and The Art of Impossible
"A clear, compelling guide to thinking under pressure. Litowitz shows that success in a fast-moving world isn’t about being right. It’s about adapting faster than everyone else. Essential reading for anyone navigating uncertainty."
"Alec Litowitz draws on decades of experience to articulate a disciplined approach to thinking, grounded in rigor, continuous learning, and better decision-making. Moving beyond theory, he provides a practical system for building teams and individuals that adapt, evolve, and perform at the highest levels. This is essential reading for anyone seeking to sharpen judgment and thrive amid constant change."
- Ken Griffin, Founder and CEO, Citadel
- Nick Polson, professor of econometrics and statistics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and co-author of AIQ
“This book belongs on your shelf if you want a practical guide to maximizing your own agency in the machine era. Simultaneously substantive and utterly readable.”
- Steven Levitt, professor emeritus at the University of Chicago and co-author of New York Times bestseller Freakonomics
"I’ve never read a book that so accurately captures how the most successful people I know think and act. As I turned the pages, I kept asking myself, 'Why isn’t this what we teach in schools?'"
"From one of the business world’s true superstars, comes The Adaptability Quotient, a book that provides a path to navigate the radical changes that now face the world. Litowitz argues persuasively that the key to success in an era of quantum change is adaptive intelligence, which is the ability to rapidly reframe a problem, update one’s thinking, and act decisively under uncertainty. The Adaptability Quotient serves as an indispensable guidebook to the current era.
- Richard Vague, author of The Paradox of Debt and An Illustrated Business History of the United States
The Playbook You Were Given Is Broken
The Old Scripts
The career ladders and institutions that once guided you no longer exist.
The New Reality
AI-driven information overload.
Unknowable uncertainty.
Rapid change that outpaces any static plan.
The Upgrade
While others work harder with flawed tools, high performers upgrade how they think. This book is the manual.
The Framework
Three Phases. One Repeating Loop. Infinite Compounding.
Phase 1: Metacognition —
Think About How You Think
Your brain runs on two systems:
System 1 — Fast, instinctive, easily hijacked by bias and algorithms.
System 2 — Slow, deliberate, but energy-expensive and often lazy.
AQ starts by learning to notice which system is driving — and when to switch. Most bad decisions aren't made from a lack of information. They're made from a lack of awareness.
Phase 2: Simulation —
Model Reality Before You Act
Before committing, structure what you know into hypotheses, scenario trees, and decision branches. Start from maximum uncertainty — assume you don't know which outcome is more likely — and let evidence earn its way into your model. Map your fatal risks first, then optimize the upside.
Phase 3: Experimentation — Launch Small, Learn Fast
Design tests that are cheap, reversible, and rich in feedback. Treat failures as data, not verdicts. The only failure that truly costs you is the one that ends your ability to keep iterating. High-AQ individuals and teams design shallow failures on purpose — because that's how you learn without blowing up.
Then you go back to Phase 1 — sharper, faster, and better calibrated than before.
Pre-Order Now & Share with Your Community
Bestsellers don’t just happen.
They are the result of many people getting early access. Pre-orders dramatically improve the industry's ability to reach readers worldwide. Help spread the word about this important work, The Adaptability Quotient.
Tools You Can Use Immediately
Actions You'll Take Before You Finish the Book
Maximum Entropy Start
Assume you don't know which outcome is more likely. Let data earn its way in and don't fit facts to your favorite story.
Strong Opinions, Weakly Held
Commit to an explicit hypothesis. Change it fast when evidence demands it.
Metacognitive Switch
Ask in real time: "Is this System 1 or System 2? Is this reaction driven by fear, ego, or actual information?"
Impute, Don't Amputate, Outliers
When data doesn't fit your model, ask: "What would have to be true for this result to make sense?"
Parallel Paths
When the stakes are high and uncertainty is large, pursue multiple options until evidence clearly favors one.
Design for Shallow Failure
Test new strategies with limited capital, small audiences, short windows, and reversible commitments.
PRE-ORDER NOW
Alec Litowitz spent three decades making high‑stakes decisions in live markets as the founder and former CEO of Magnetar Capital, and is now the head of Qstar Capital.
The Adaptability Quotient distills what worked across finance, entrepreneurship, and institution‑building, turning it into a field guide for people who can’t afford to learn the hard way every time.
