Directed Curiosity is a research and advisory firm focused on helping clients know more about what matters.

Building on 15 years of work focusing on the emerging social media intelligence market, the new name reflects a broader vision and the flexibility to go after big ideas.

Discovering a new name

Among other things (maybe you’re heard), 2020 taught the world to use Zoom. As everyone everywhere stayed home, I started meeting fascinating people from all over the world in online meetups.

When I said something in one of those groups about being “interested in everything,” someone in the group challenged me, “isn’t that just another way of saying you’re easily distracted?”

Well, yes, but it doesn’t have to be. The power of being interested in everything is that I can be interested in anything. It’s a matter of directing that curiosity in a productive way. And that’s how I discovered the new name.

Know more about what matters

The new name comes with an expanded research agenda, summarized in the new tagline. It’s about working with data to develop useful information, but the work will not be hemmed in by existing disciplinary boundaries. This process is about exploring and learning, creating original frameworks, and cross-pollinating ideas with people who think they’re in different fields. When it leads in unexpected directions, that’s the process working.

Look for development of some ideas I previewed in the past, as well as whole new research projects that were waiting for the boundaries to be lifted. In 2024, this starts with the Data Market Study, looking into the structure and economics of data markets, and the Analyst’s Canvas, first previewed in 2017.

On the advisory front, directed curiosity means applying the research and directing curiosity at a client’s situation. I anticipate working with more companies in the information market based on work in the research projects and the frameworks that spin out of them.

The third application of directed curiosity is in bespoke research. Those virtual meetups added some fascinating people to my network, and some of them are part of an expanded research team for times when a little directed curiosity is just what your question needs.

New year, new…

It starts here. Well, it started last year, but I lost the first draft of this post and then procrastinated. Things are under way. More soon.

Photo by Andreas Chu on Unsplash