Personal note #7: It doesn't cost anything to ask

In 2011, I was living in a shared apartment with 3 friends with whom, for weeks, we debated the pronunciation of a piece of software we were using—it was a bit our own version of the "gif or jif" battle.

As it happens, the software was pronounced "Supercopié" by some and "Supercopieur" by others.

One evening, when the debate came back up, I simply had the idea of sending an email to the creator of the software, and while my friends were arguing about whether he would answer me or not, I received a simple reply.

"Hello, thank you for your interest in this project, and yes, it is indeed pronounced "Supercopieur". Best regards [...]"

This anecdote may seem trivial, but I still remember it, and it's without a doubt one of the moments that made me realize the importance of asking for information, and sometimes stepping outside your comfort zone to get it.

This is, moreover, one of the lessons taught by Tim Ferriss in his best-seller "The 4-Hour Workweek" (which I mention in my article "My reading challenge in 2019"), and which I try to apply as much as possible in my everyday life, while respecting two important rules:

The first is to ask your questions as respectfully as possible, without forcing the issue, and the second is to expect refusal above all, in order to avoid any kind of negative feeling.

Asking for something seems so basic, and yet by actually doing it, and in the right way, you can gain real advantages, ranging from eating a dish that's not on the restaurant menu to creating a professional opportunity that can change your life.

In 2016, I had the chance to attend entrepreneurship masterclasses alongside dozens of students from UC Berkeley, and the biggest cultural difference compared to my French classmates was their propensity to ask questions, without ever any embarrassment.

Why stay in the dark, when asking a question or asking for help costs absolutely nothing?

I've received a lot of answers to my questions and helping hands over the past few years, so it seems only natural to me to do everything I can to try to return the favor, which is why today I answer every message I receive, and with great pleasure!

Step outside your comfort zone, and don't forget: It costs nothing to ask!