Entrepreneur: How to spot a golden opportunity at your day job and turn it into a winning business

May 29, 2023

Curiosity is the spark behind every leading innovation. Without it, we never would have harnessed electricity, rocketed to the moon or developed a Covid-19 vaccine in record time. But while it’s easy enough to come up with a good idea — they’re everywhere — the ones that revolutionize entire industries and professions require us to keep our eyes open to the challenges right in front of us in our daily lives and then ask, “How can I change that? How can I make things better? How can I use my curiosity for good?”

That’s precisely what I discovered as I made the move from full-time professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University to entrepreneur, co-founding Acuity Insights, formerly Altus Assessments, a Toronto-based company that now employs 150 people. It all started with an assessment that challenged the concept that being book smart was all it took to be a good doctor, nurse, teacher or business person. The test measures social intelligence and professionalism that is used alongside measures of knowledge — and we’ve found that the more holistically we can assess someone, the more we are able to understand and support them.

Key topics covered include:

• How to spot a problem and turn it into an innovative business. If you look hard enough, you’re guaranteed to spot an issue at your job, but finding a solution makes you a true innovator and business leader.
• Trust your instincts. Not everyone will be supportive of your new business idea, but it’s important to trust your instincts and go to key advisors whose input you value.
• Stretch yourself: Don’t put limits on yourself, believe that you can do more, and achieve more than you’d ever imagine.

Read Dr. Kelly Dore’s full article in Entrepreneur