Andrew Griffiths discusses how turning our attention outward rather than inward affects how we perceive things. He makes the claim that people “live a richer and more rewarding life in many ways, who are genuinely interested in those around them.”

“If you take a very real and genuine interest in the people you encounter, they will pick up on this and be extremely receptive. It is the way to build friendships and relationships and businesses,” he writes.

According to TechShake co-founder Fatima Yambao, learning about different cultures broadens one’s perspective and fosters empathy for others. “Start-up founders should take note of this as we deal with a diverse range of individuals from different backgrounds,” she says.

According to Jay Fajardo, co-founder of the incubator LaunchGarage and start-ups ProudCloud and Medifi, “I’ve also learned how to watch the world and observe how people behave.” Recognise how society operates in the margins and in white areas since that is where opportunity is found.

Griffiths says that over a long period of time, he has evolved a “curiosity gene” that makes him “fascinated by pretty much everything.” It was this interest that made it easier for him to form bonds with other people.

Yambao remembers going to her cousin’s wedding in San Francisco by herself. She intended to investigate the local startup culture on the side, so she looked up “meetups for start-ups in SF” at random on Google and discovered a lot of intriguing gatherings. She says, “I booked several events on the spur of the moment.”

She went to an elevator pitch competition, where well-known figures from the startup world served as judges. For me, it opened my eyes. “It’s not something I often see in the Philippines—seeing founders get grilled live—but the judges did not play nice,” she says.

It was also in the Bay Area start-up space that she got to meet other Filipinos. Hearing about fellow Filipinos’ experiences and their willingness to support fellow business owners back home was pleasant. We kept in touch after the meetup via the Filipinos Forward Slack channel, and we’re still going strong now,” she says.

After 30 years as a successful serial entrepreneur, Fajardo also benefited from his willingness to absorb knowledge from others. “I’ve had a number of mentors along the road, and I’ve learned a great deal from them—most of which are life lessons that you never learn in school.” Currently, Fajardo mentors budding entrepreneurs as a way of giving back.

Yambao lists a few travel-related activities that she believes more people ought to pursue since they are useful in daily life: “Strike up a discussion with locals. While you might not be able to completely unplug from your phone and the Internet, at least try your best. Don’t be scared to take independent risks. Look for inspiration in people and environments.