The Lens of Curiosity

By Emily Knight

Babies learn more in their first three years than in any other period of life. This rapid learning happens because babies are master scientists. These little scientists are great at their job; trying experiments over and over again until they can be sure of the predictability of outcomes. Not only are they great at it, but they have fun doing it!

As we grow older, we begin to take that predictability for granted and we forget how great we can be at experimentation. This is the trap of our comfort zones. We forget how to look at life through the lens of a scientist running experiments and we forget how much we enjoy that process.

For students moving through university, remembering this lens of curiosity is the single greatest thing you can do to set yourself apart. By looking at your university campus as a place of experimentation and play, you can go a level deeper from just course learning outcomes.

One of the best opportunities as a student to take back your title of master scientist is to start a business. The process of turning your thread of an idea into something real is the biggest experiment of all time.

You start with the hypothesis that people care about your idea in the first place. You run tests, you ask good questions, you listen for clues, and you stay open to the fact that you might be completely wrong.

Through this process of validating or disproving your hypothesis, you get to build connections with experts, community members, and other entrepreneurs. You learn their stories, frustrations and hopes. You learn how the world works for others like you, and others not like you.

You become, once again, a master scientist and experimenter.