Running on questions

The quickest path to deeper insights is to ask more questions. Initial questions lead to initial answers. Initial answers lead to better questions. And better questions lead to useful information. If you keep asking questions, you keep finding better answers.

I run LegUp Health on questions, not answers. Why? Because I want LegUp Health to grow into an enduring company; one that lasts for generations. To do this, we must forge a culture of innovation. 

The surest path to innovation is to ask questions. Questions stimulate curiosity. And curiosity uncovers innovation.

At LegUp Health, the first question we asked was “what problem should we solve?” Once we identified a worthy problem, we wondered “how big is the problem?” Once we determined the problem was widespread, we pondered “how will we solve the problem?” This naturally led to the question, “how will we make money?”

LegUp Health is now focused on more challenging questions. “How will we acquire customers scalably?” “How will we serve customers profitably”? “How will we recruit and retain talent?” And “what competitive advantages can we build?” 

One beautiful thing about questions is that almost anyone can help answer them. All that’s required is a willingness to ask questions and the curiosity to search for answers. We have six willing and curious interns helping us at LegUp Health this summer. 

Another wonderful thing about questions is that the answers are accretive. Each answer leads to gradual growth in expertise. This has all kinds of benefits. Increased context, improved pattern recognition, and an ability to ask better questions are a few of them.

Want more innovation? Ask more questions.