It's no secret that the most groundbreaking innovations emerge from the pursuit of one's curiosity. By continuously asking questions and iterating our thought process, we can deepen our understanding and gain profound insights.

You don't need to take my word for it:

I used to ask myself, which of my curiosities should I continue to follow? How do I know I'm not wasting my time? I'm not sure if there's a right answer, but I do know that you gotta start somewhere. Like searching for gold with a metal detector, keep scanning a broad surface until you receive an signal. This is all the glimmer of curiosity you need to start digging.

When you start, the tools will be all around you. Most of the time they're free. Google things, listen to podcasts, watch YouTube episodes, read books. Dive in. If a phrase or jargon comes up and you don't know it, look it up. Keep digging, keep learning. Search and see who else was curious about these topics - you're definitely not the first. Find out who the founder is of a company that's solving a similar problem in your curiosity space, then consume their articles, interviews, and content. Listen to how they think. Watch what they do. Keep asking yourself questions and find ways to get the information.

If this sounds like a lot of work to you, then you've lost interest. That's fine! Don't fight this. This shouldn't be 'research'. You're either researching something at work or searching a buzz-wordy topic like ai, drop shipping, web3. If you're not eager to keep digging, you've lost your curiosity. Go back up to the surface, bring out the metal detector, and find another spot.

On the other hand, if the digging is coming easy to you... keep going. You'll know what to look for next. It'll be obvious to you. Eventually, you'll carve out an underground path of knowledge, going in various different directions and getting deeper. 

While most of the worlds knowledge is actually free, you'll inevitably come across a tool that will cost money. For example, you'll want to sign up to use some sort of website subscription, software service, or integration tool to get answers. Most likely it'll be an relatively small cost, like a $19 charge. Just like with any other purchase, you will naturally ask yourself, do I really need this? Should I pay for this? I believe the answer should always be yes. If this thing could potentially help you gain knowledge about the topic more quickly and with greater certainty, then get it. While it's totally fine to dig with your hands, you must also respect your curiosity. Buy the shovel.

I firmly believe that paying a little extra (often just tens of dollars, not thousands) for a deeper understanding is justified and always worthwhile. If there's one product that's $18 and the other is $24 but will give you more answers, buy the shovel with sharper edges. If someone wrote a book specifically tackling your problem and you can find the time to read it, buy the shovel. If you need to pay a small fee to access an API that will provide data and, therefore, answers to you more quickly, then buy the shovel. If your curiosity is truly what's underneath, then the cost of the shovel is always worth the extra digging it will get you.

Jonny