Curiosity Loops
curiosity-loops
Use when facing a significant decision (career pivot, product direction, technical choice) and feeling stuck or indecisive, when seeking contextual advice rather than generic recommendations
SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
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 │
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│ 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