A sobering number of young companies manage to survive. Those that do, however, have stayed nimble and responded quickly as they got to know their markets. One key to this agility is curiosity.
We spoke with three successful startups that offered their perspectives on how to leverage failure and stay curious. Klara Technologies is a young New York company that produces a seamless communication platform for all involved in the health care system, from doctors to patients and everyone in between. NOWDiagnostics, a startup from Arkansas has developed an array of rapid response medical diagnostics tests using a fingerprick of blood. And Hammerhead, also based in New York, has built a product that clips onto a bike and pairs with a mobile app to give simple directions for cyclists, allowing them to follow a route without distraction.
The upshot from these entrepreneurs? If you aren’t willing to be curious, to keep asking the hard questions and listen seriously to the answers, you might get left behind.