HOW F'INN UNLOCKS DEEPER INSIGHTS THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF WONDER
For us, curiosity is more than a mindset, it’s a practice, a verb. We approach every engagement with an undeterred sense of wonder, always seeking to understand more and dig deeper. Curiosity is our superpower.
AI at F'inn
For example, take our AI initiatives. It began not as a business imperative but as an experiment driven purely by curiosity about the technology’s potential. Greg Robison, a F'inn Founder, spearheaded this initiative, exploring AI’s possibilities with an open mind rather than a specific end goal. He came to AI organically, from background in neuroscience, his passion for photography and a desire to see how neural networks could enhance his images.
Greg's curiosity has led to great value for F'inn. He has developed AI tools that make our work quality better and more efficient. Even more importantly, he has given us Finners a deeper understanding of this soaring technology and where it’s headed. We grasp the promise of AI, even if we cannot comprehend its power. As an organization, we know that we are ready for this moment, with and for our clients.
I knew F’inn was going to be a different place to work when one of our partners, who had been experimenting with AI, used a picture of myself and my boss and combined our images into one hybrid person. It was a good laugh, and the lighthearted experimentation is always ongoing. -- Craig Parks, F'inn Innovation Research Director
Thinking about Sustainability
In 2019, as the conversation around climate change swelled, we asked a fundamental question: “What does climate change really mean to everyday people, not just the loudest voices in the media?”
This question led us to launch a large-scale study that explored how consumers view climate change, what actions they take, and which brands they trust to act responsibly. Stephen Bohnet, one of our Founders, led this initiative.
We repeated the study in 2022 to track how these views evolved. Through this research, we uncovered an invaluable insight: the loudest climate change “hoaxers” only represented 3% of the population. This kind of insight helps our clients understand the real concerns and behaviors of their audiences, cutting through the noise to deliver actionable strategies that matter.
Stephen could lead a masterclass in curiosity. It's a marvel to watch how he breaks down complex challenges into actionable insights, simply by asking the right questions - often the simplest or most obvious ones. His curiosity drives many of F'inn's passion projects, from sustainability to mental health, all sparked by a genuine interest in the topic and pushed forward by the desire to learn more. -- Molly Buckleitner, F'inn Innovation Research Specialist
The Courage to Be Curious: Embracing the Unknown
Being curious isn’t just about asking questions—it’s about asking the right ones, even when the answers might be uncertain or uncomfortable. At F'inn, we believe that true curiosity requires both boldness and humility. Boldness drives us to explore the unknown, while humility keeps us open to the understanding that we don’t have all the answers. Together, these qualities enable us to uncover insights that others might miss.
Being curious in a deeper way requires bravery. It means asking tough questions, especially when you’re unsure and maybe a little scared about what the response is going to be. Curiosity means challenging yourself, your team, and your clients to interrogate your objectives and process. What are we really trying to accomplish? Is this really the best approach? What is a layer up or layer down that we're not considering. One thing I love about F’inn is that we are always excited to explore what we don’t know. We genuinely want to learn if we’re wrong about something. Curiosity is a practice, and we love working with curious people. -- Lou Riordan, F'inn Innovation Research Director
It also means being open to the approach - the research methodology. Getting real responses from research participants can require some choreography because the sequence and flow of the questions matters. The right interviewer and best research design has bearing on the outcome. This is true whether we're choosing the perfect advanced analytical tool or conducting individual interviews about personal experiences. The exploration tools demanded by curiosity are rarely available "off the shelf".
In our work, curiosity means embracing the unknown and approaching problems with an open mind. We encourage our team - and our clients - to admit when something is unclear or when assumptions might need to be challenged. We also This intellectual honesty creates the space to explore new ideas and perspectives that might otherwise go overlooked.
Exploring Mental Health
When we saw the growing mental health crisis following the pandemic, we didn’t approach it with any preconceived notions of the causes or effects. Instead, we embraced the fact that the world was changing faster than our senses could keep up, which meant this was largely unknown territory. By facing this enormous uncertainty with curiosity, we were able to simplify an incredibly complex matter.
By embracing the unknown, rather than resisting it, we’re able to explore deeper layers of insight, delivering research that truly makes a difference.
Curiosity Leads to Unexpected Solutions
The most exciting aspect of curiosity is that it often leads to unexpected solutions—insights that reveal new paths forward for our clients. Whether we’re helping businesses understand consumer behavior, employee engagement, or sustainability trends, curiosity pushes us beyond the obvious and into the realm of true innovation.
Through all the searching, we also thrive on this sense of discovery. Whether we’re exploring emerging technologies like AI or uncovering hidden consumer trends, curiosity keeps us future-focused and ready to help our clients adapt to a rapidly changing world.
Conclusion: Curiosity as a Strategic Advantage
In today’s fast-paced business environment, curiosity is a competitive advantage. At F'inn, we’re here to guide you through the journey of discovery, leveraging curiosity to unlock deeper insights and create a clear path through uncertainty.
