When I hear the phrase we're exploring I'm reminded that in fact many who explore without a plan, measures of their progress progress against this plan, a risk management Plan-B for getting home when things go wrong, and without insufficient resources to survive the trip - come home empty handed or many time don't come home at all. Exploring without these items is called wandering around in the wilderness looking for something to eat.
Here's a simple tale about an actual explorer, Ernest Shackleton, who experienced failure and near death on their first expedition to the South Pole (ADM Scott), that informed his attempt the reach the Pole a second time, only to experience failure again. In the first example prepartion was weak, management inconsistent, and lacking an actual strategy, no Plan-B. The second attempt, without Scott, was well planned, well provisioned, well staffed. When trouble started, Plan-B and then Plan-C were put in place and executed.