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