Novel questions rarely fit into existing frameworks. I help you answer the questions that matter, even if you can’t define them yet.
Curiosity as a service
Prior Work
Scientific
What are the quantified costs of long covid? (Updated 2023)
My child is facing an understudied mental health diagnosis- what resources are available?
Are there any good metrics for fitness?
My doctor has given me three choices to treat my cancer- break down their pros and cons.
Business
How should I organize 20% time at my company?
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.
Complex Systems
Was there an oil crisis in 1973?
Is Argentina a good place to launch a stablecoin?
What is the dependency graph for the paradigm of plate tectonics?
About Me
I was a biologist (Cornell), then a programmer (Adobe, Google, Wave), but my hobby has always been understanding systems, especially in 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)