Curiosity as a service

Novel questions rarely fit into existing frameworks.

I help you answer the questions that matter,
even if you can’t define them yet.

Prior Work

Scientific

My child is facing an understudied mental health diagnosis- what resources are available?

Are there any good metrics for fitness? (link)

My doctor has given me three choices to treat my cancer- break down their pros and cons.

Is eating dirt really healthy for kids? (link)

What are the quantified costs of long covid?
(link, 2023 update)

Business

How should I organize 20% time at my company? (link)

Is carbon capture via soil fungus technically viable? Commercially?

I’m applying at $X, get me information about division $Y, their long term strategy, and anything else that will help me.

How can I run a good distributed team? (link)

Complex Systems

Was there an oil crisis in 1973? (link)

Is Argentina a good place to launch a stablecoin?

What is the dependency graph for the paradigm of plate tectonics? (link)

What is the role of chaos theory in theoretical ecology? (link)

About Me

I was a biologist (Cornell), then a programmer (Adobe, Google, Wave), but my hobby has always been understanding systems, especially within biology and sociology. In 2017 I was able to parlay my science blog into a freelance career where people bring me nebulous requests and I bring them answers that let them make better decisions.

How to start

Email elizabeth@northseaanalytics.com, with a short project description and confirmation you’ve read my rates ($400/hour)

45 minute phone call to check fit and design a 5 hour trial project

I do the 5 hour trial project

Expand from there if desired

“I hired a researcher (Elizabeth Van Nostrand, whom you can and should hire too) to help write this very post, which is largely about how to hire people to do things!”

-Milan Cvitkovik (CEO, Integral Neuro)

“I hired Elizabeth to investigate ideas for my next start-up. So many times I gave her a vague domain and she came back with answers to the questions I should have asked."

-Justin Mares (CEO, TrueMed)