Some people don’t know what they truly want.
But for others, it’s the opposite—they’re curious about nearly everything.
This trait is called Openness to Experience, one of the Big Five personality dimensions. The IPIP-NEO-PI personality inventory breaks Openness into six facets:
Challenging authority,
Aesthetic sensitivity,
Intellectual curiosity,
Active imagination (fantasy),
Awareness of inner feelings,
Preference for variety (adventurousness).
Sounds appealing, right? Well, it depends on whether you can manage it. I’ve worked with founders whose Openness limited or even wrecked their businesses.
Here’s the problem: an excessive drive for variety leads to indiscriminate choices.
It's like a starving orphan in a bakery, grabbing every pastry, biting into one, then moving on to the next, trying to taste it all.
Clearly, you can’t build a sustainable business like that.
What’s the solution?
You have to help the person set priorities. For that, they need criteria. And criteria come from long-term goals.
Seems simple: just say it all out loud, and voilà!
But here’s the thing—if you do it sincerely, not just formally, it’s a deeply personal question: Why are you here at all?
The answer is as powerful as it is terrifying.
That's why a genuine response is only possible if the person trusts that the question is from someone whose intentions are kind.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.