Curious Impact

Claude Shannon changed the world—yet most people have never heard of him. 

I didn’t hear about him until two weeks ago. 

Upon hearing about him, I was instantly drawn in. Not by his profound impact nearly as much as how he achieved it. 

He loved to play. 

He had an unrelenting focus—sometimes. 

He lived for fun and his work was fun, until he wasn’t and he moved to another project. 

His impact challenges the popular belief that success comes from a lifetime of specialization. 

It is the fact that Claude was able to have both wide spanning interests and a profound impact on the world that drew me in. 

Why? 

Because I see a bit of myself in that approach to life. 

This is not an egotistical manifesto to convince you that you will be impacted by me because I am just like Claude–far from it. 

It is a nod to the under-represented generalist in you that should be freed from their cage so you can find harmony in work and play; potentially culminating in an impact far greater than you could ever hope to imagine. 

It’s permission to follow your curiosity. To pursue what deeply excites you while allowing space for exploration and growth. To gain knowledge—and let ‘distractions’ equip you with insights you’ll use in the most unexpected ways.

Permission to become enthralled in these interests for a period. To dive deep. And, upon surfacing for air, to pursue a different interest. 

Triggering the cycle again. 

Maybe, even returning to the initial interest with more insights and a deeper sense of purpose. 

You may not invent the bit or solve complex mathematical formulas, inspired by Boolean Algebra—I almost fell asleep writing that—but you might stumble upon an idea that changes someone’s life.