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Curiosity over Conviction

Definition

The principle that PE professionals approaching an unfamiliar sector should lead with genuine curiosity about the founder's business rather than stretching thin credentials into false expertise. Founders respond better to "we're curious about your space" than to overreaching claims of sector knowledge that don't hold up under scrutiny.

Origin

Introduced by Rod Jimenez in Ep. 4: The Truth About PE from a Founder's Perspective. Rod contrasts two outreach approaches: firms that claim familiarity they don't have — such as citing a tangentially related restaurant-tech portfolio company as proof of hospitality expertise — versus firms that honestly say "we're very curious about your space and your company seems to be doing some interesting things." Rod is unequivocal about which works: "I would be 100% open to that. I would actually like it way more."

Application

Rod frames curiosity as appealing to a founder's natural enthusiasm for their business. When a PE professional says "I just saw this announcement — I'm curious how it impacts your company," the founder's reaction is "I love talking about this" rather than "you don't know what we do." Curiosity invites a teaching dynamic that builds rapport; false conviction invites scrutiny that exposes gaps. (Ep. 4)

Practical applications include:

  • Framing outreach around industry trends and asking the founder to share their perspective
  • Citing a specific announcement or public data point as a curiosity hook, rather than claiming deep sector expertise
  • Acknowledging unfamiliarity directly: "I know nothing about your company, would love to learn"
  • Avoiding the temptation to stretch a portfolio company in an adjacent space into claimed sector DNA