Curiosity Loops

Overview

Curiosity Loops is a structured method for gathering contextual advice from a curated group of peers rather than relying on a single mentor or vague questions. It turns decision-making into a data-collection exercise.

Core principle: The best advice is contextual. Bad advice happens when advisors lack context about your specific situation.

When to Use

Facing a significant decision (career pivot, product direction, personal dilemma)
Feeling indecisive or stuck
Need diverse perspectives quickly
Want to avoid "single point of failure" advice

The Four-Step Process

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1. FORMULATE     →  Ask specific, unbiased question            │
│                      (NOT "What should I do?")                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  2. CURATE        →  Mix Subject Matter Experts +               │
│                      People who know your context               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  3. EXECUTE       →  Reduce cognitive load                      │
│                      (e.g., "Pick top 2 of 9")                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  4. CLOSE LOOP    →  Process data, share outcome with advisors  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Quick Reference

| Element | Good Example | Bad Example | |---------|--------------|-------------| | Question | "Which 2 of these 9 topics resonate most?" | "What should I talk about?" | | Audience | 10 friends (5 experts + 5 who know you) | 1 mentor | | Format | Low friction (2 choices max) | Open-ended essay | | Follow-up | Share what you decided and why | Ghost them |

Common Mistakes

Vague questions → Ask specific, structured questions
Single advisor → Curate 8-12 people with diverse perspectives
No follow-up → Always close the loop; thank advisors

Real-World Example

Ada Chen Rekhi used this to select podcast interview topics: emailed 10-11 friends a list of 9 topics, asked them to pick their top 2, synthesized patterns, and closed the loop.

Source: Ada Chen Rekhi (Notejoy, LinkedIn, SurveyMonkey) via Lenny's Podcast