Startup Brainframe Episode 16 - CQ + PQ > IQ

Today's episode covers:

- what is CQ (curiosity quotient)

- what is PQ (passion quotient)

- why their combination is better than IQ (while not neglecting the value of high raw intelligence)

- 3 actionable steps for neurofounders + 1 CTA

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Neoteq is an early-stage startup looking for 2 co-founders (a CTO and a Chief Science Officer) who are willing to build things in San Francisco.

If you feel like that's you - kindle reach out on:

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Transcript

Startup Success_ CQ + PQ _ IQ
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 Welcome to Startup Brain Frame, where we translate brain science for startups who want to build the future. Today we're looking at a bit of a, well, a curve ball idea, maybe Uhhuh. While everyone talks about iq, we're exploring this thought that for startup founders, uh, your curiosity quotient plus your passion quotient.

Maybe that actually matters more than just raw intelligence. Right? Yeah. Let's dive into that because it's not saying being smart isn't helpful. Of course it is. , Especially, you know, when you're first tackling those big complex problems, market analysis, system architecture, the technical stuff, exactly.

But, um, building a successful company that demands well. So much more than just intellectual horsepower alone. Okay, so let's unpack that. We all kind of grow up hearing how vital intelligence is, right? Mm-hmm. We praise the high grades, the technical degrees, the person who solves problems super fast.

Society definitely puts a premium on it. And yeah, that brainpower definitely helps. Understanding your market, designing the product, figuring on strategy.  Absolutely. You need a certain, uh, baseline level of cognitive ability just to get in the game. No question, but here's the core argument we're making today.

IQ alone doesn't actually build companies. Is that fair? That's exactly it. Intelligence might help you, you know, initiate the process. Get the idea on paper, right? The spark. Yeah, the spark. But it isn't necessarily enough for the sheer. Difficulty, the grind of an early stage startup. The uh, the pain, the constant pivoting, the challenges that just keep coming.

It really makes you think, doesn't it? Yeah. How many truly brilliant founders, people with Sky High IQs just. Quit maybe too early. Way too often it's like having this incredible engine, but without the fuel or maybe the steering mechanism. So IQ without that resilience, that, um, obsession with the problem, that real passion Yeah, just becomes unrealized potential, precisely just potential sitting there, never quite translating into real world impact or a lasting venture.

Okay, so let's talk about the  first part of our equation then. Curiosity quotient. Yes. We're framing this as a real competitive advantage for founders. What does high CQ actually look like in someone building a company? Well, a founder with High CQ has this almost relentless drive to understand how things work.

They're not just satisfied with the surface stuff. They dig deeper constantly. They're always asking better questions, investigating everything. Users, competitors, yeah. But also themselves, their own assumptions. They even look into seemingly unrelated fields for insights. So it's less about, I know and much more about what if.

Mm-hmm. Or, uh, how do I really know I'm right about this? Exactly. That mindset. And there's a fascinating brain science angle here too. Curiosity actually promotes brain plasticity. Plasticity, yeah. So adaptability. Yeah. Be able to change and reorganize. Thinking. That's it. Think about it, every time a curious founder digs into weird user behavior and like.

Tweaks the product based on that. Yeah. They're literally forging new connections in their brain,  rewiring their understanding of the market. This lets them learn and crucially pivot much smarter and faster than someone who's just stuck on their initial great idea. So being really curious makes you more loyal to finding the truth, even if it contradicts your brilliant starting point, right?

Your loyalty isn't to the idea, it's to what actually works, which makes the startup itself more anti-fragile. More able to handle shocks because the leader isn't rigid, perfectly put, and neuroscientifically, it's quite cool. High CQ folks tend to get a bigger dopamine hit, you know, the reward chemical when they're solving problems and making discoveries.

So the actual process of learning and improving feels good. Yeah. Not just like a chore. Exactly. It becomes intrinsically enjoyable, not just a painful grind they have to endure. Wow. Okay. That sounds like a massive, almost hidden advantage, that kind of inherent enjoyment in the struggle. That must be pretty rare.

It really is. It separates those who thrive on the challenge from those who just tolerate it. Okay. Let's bring in the  other part of the formula. Pq. Passion quotient. How do we define that clearly for a founder? Yeah. When we talk about passion quotient, we're really asking some key questions like, how much does this work, this mission truly fulfill you personally?

Yeah. How deeply do you actually care about solving the specific problem your team is tackling? Not just the idea of a startup, but this problem, right? The why, and maybe most critically, how willing are you to persevere when things get incredibly tough? Because, well, they absolutely will. Oh, guaranteed.

That's the one constant in the startup journey, isn't it? The uh, the confusion, the rejection, the feeling like you're shouting into the void sometimes. Yeah. Or the lack of initial traction. The runway, suddenly looking terrifyingly short team members leaving, all of it. So PQ is what keeps you going when pure logic, maybe even your IQ is screaming, this is irrational.

Cut your losses. Precisely. It's not just fleeting excitement or emotion. It's a deeper devotion, a real  commitment. It's when the mission gets so deeply ingrained that quitting feels well. It feels like a personal betrayal, right? Exactly. A betrayal of yourself maybe, but also of the team, the investors, the early users, everyone who believed in that vision, that level of passion, that deep seated drive, it gives you an advantage that's almost impossible to quantify.

An immeasurable edge, really, it feels everything when other resources run low. So bringing it all together. Why do we argue that CQ plus PQ is actually greater than IQ in the startup world? Well, like we said, startups aren't purely intellectual exercises. They're not typically won just by the person with the highest test scores.

It feels like they're won by the most daring maybe. Mm-hmm. And the most stubborn in a good way. Stubborn on the vision, flexible on the details. Yeah, persevering and the combination of CQ and PQ is incredibly powerful. Oh, so what's the synergy? I. Well, CQ drives faster learning and faster adaptation. You see problems or opportunities  quicker.

Okay. PQ provides the relentless persistence to act on that. Learning to push through the obstacles that would make others even smart, others give up. So you learn faster, adapt faster, and you stick around longer than the competition. Exactly. And these qualities aren't just isolated in the founder's head, are they?

They ripple outwards, right? They have this knock on effect. Absolutely faster learning leads to a better product. Iteration cycles are quicker. That passion, it infuses the team culture, shapes the brand's narrative, the whole story of the company. It creates this compounding effect over time. Precisely. So a founding team with high CQ and high pq, even if maybe they're not the absolute smartest on paper in terms of raw IQ, uhhuh, they can often learn.

Adapt and persist their way to outperforming smarter competitors who just lack that same level of intense curiosity and unwavering drive. Okay. This really lands, it feels intuitively right when you look at successful, resilient founders. So for the founders listening right now, wanting to maybe boost their own CQ and pq, what  are some actionable things they can do?

Great question. We've got three practical tips they could try. First, create a curiosity map of admired founders. Okay? How does that work? Pick, say, five founders you really look up to, but don't just admire their success from afar. Really dig in, investigate their key decisions, product pivots, branding choices, pricing strategies.

Ask yourself constantly, what did they figure out? What do they know or how do they think that maybe I don't yet? I like that it channels your curiosity in a really productive way. What's tip number two? Follow cross discipline curators. Actively seek out content and thinkers outside your immediate field.

Like who could be anyone really? Cognitive scientists talking about decision making, maybe inspiring historical figures or even fictional characters known for their problem solving. Top athletes discussing mindset and resilience. Interesting. And the goal, the goal is to look for unconventional connections.

How can insights from say biology or sports psychology apply to your  specific startup challenge? That kind of cross pollination really stimulates high CQ thinking. Love that, finding inspiration in unexpected places. Okay, and the third tip, this one's more about pq. Track the pain points that made you stay.

Keep a private log, maybe just notes on your phone or a journal when you face a really brutal challenge, a moment where giving up seems like the logical, easy path, but you choose to push through. Write it down, acknowledge it. Yes. Recognize that resilience in yourself. Frame each entry not as a failure.

You survived, but as proof of your inherent perseverance, your passion and action, it builds self-awareness of your own pq. Those are fantastic. Really concrete things people can start doing today. So wrapping this up. Yeah. The big takeaway for founders, especially those building something ambitious may be unconventional.

Yeah. It's that while being smart is definitely useful, it's really your deep curiosity, your unwavering passion, and just that relentless determination. Your CQ and PQ that are.  Probably the better predictors of long-term success. Absolutely. It boils down to that continuous hunger to learn and understand that profound care for the problem you're solving and that, uh, that unbreakable commitment to just keep pushing forward no matter what walls you hit.

That's a wrap. Thanks for taking the time to tune in on today's episode. See you the next one.