Getting the right answers

I once received a call from an MBA student, seeking my advice on whether to join  McKinsey or Google. He had offer letters from both, and was stressed over which one to choose.

I asked him a question: “What is the most important thing for you in your life right now?” 

“Learning”, came the response.

“OK. Is learning so important to you that you are willing to work for free in a toxic environment but you get to learn a not?”

“Of course not. That would be horrible.”

“Then learning is not THE most important thing for you in life right now. Go back and find the answer.”

We did this back and forth, until he figured I am not going to give him the answer (because frankly, I didn't have it myself). 

He didn’t have the time and inclination to go through that process, so ended up taking one of the offers, and resigned a year later.

He wanted answers.

I was just asking questions. 

Founders often ask me, “Is this a good idea?”

I ask them: “Has this idea already been executed by someone else? Why did / didn’t it work?”

We are not the smartest person in the world. So the idea we have, thousands of people would have also had. What happened to them? What do they know about this idea that we do not? 

When we go through the process of researching the right questions for our startup, we end up saving years of doing what someone else has already done before - for us to learn from.

They came looking for answers. 

I offered them questions. 

What is the key to getting the right answers in life?

Asking the right questions.

Only asking questions isn’t enough. 

Asking the right questions is important. 

To feel more powerful, instead of asking “Why is this happening to me?” I started asking myself  “What is this trying to teach me?” 

This one change in question changed my life.

What I love about questions is that they won’t offer immediate solutions. Which means when they do offer the solution, it stands the test of time. 

Being curious and asking the right questions is what drives me, allows me to explore more about people, and keeps me honest to myself. 

What is one question that has been a game changer for you?