Questionstorming
I believe a great question is more valuable than a great idea. Questions open up discussions, while ideas can sometimes constrain them. Ideas often rely on heuristics based on what’s been done before, while questions allow us to dream freely.
A few years back, I led a “questionstorm” session where we spent 15 minutes each Monday generating a list of things we wanted to know. We weren’t trying to solve any problems; instead, we focused on documenting questions without immediately offering answers. Sometimes the standard answer exists only because “that’s the way it’s always been done,” and there may be a better answer out there.
How to Questionstorm
Use any question format that resonates, but here are some starters:
- What if …
- Why do …
- How come …
Below is a list of questions that I continue to ponder:
- Why do we own anything?
- Why don’t people trust brands?
- How can I help?
- What do baseball and business have in common?
- Why do businesses require a degree?
- Does day and time matter for email sends?
- Would you pay someone to read your content?
- Would you charge someone to read your content?
- What ways are photography and business related?
- What business won’t be around in 5 years?
- Why are we still doing resumes, applications, and interviews?
- What does a click-through rate tell you?
- Why are we loyal?
- What’s the best way to test subject lines?
- What would happen if the subject line was “open this”?
- What is commitment?
- Why don’t we act in our own best interest?
- What if we couldn’t measure open rates?
- Who would we pick if we could only email 800 people from our database?
- How do we reduce clicks?
Some of these questions may get answers someday, while others might remain open forever. I enjoy revisiting them, as they spark new insights and creativity, reminding me how much there is still to learn and explore.