About

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why is The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) creating a space for people to share hunches?

  RWJF's Ideas for an Equitable Future team is always on the lookout for cutting edge ideas that could help achieve health equity and pave the way together to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right. But we know that good ideas and profound insights most often start as inklings or hunches about something new or different or interesting. Inspired by Steven Johnson’s theory of where good ideas come from, we created this site to provide a space where anyone, anywhere can share their hunch, giving it the freedom to grow stronger, and one day maybe even become a world-changing idea.

• Why should I share my hunch?

  Plainly put, setting your hunches free might be the best way they can make a difference. Some may fade and disappear, while others will change shape and grow stronger. They may collide with other hunches, or ride around for a while in someone else's mind before emerging as ideas to strengthen communities, make healthcare systems more equitable, and ensure that families can thrive. We believe that collaboration and input from all kinds of people is key to achieving these goals, and sharing hunches is a fun way to practice this.

  
  

• How is a hunch different from an idea?

  Rarely do ideas pop into our heads fully formed. Instead ideas emerge over time, often starting out as hunches about something that’s grabbed your interest, or something new or different. While an idea can be acted on -- built, created, executed, stopped in its tracks -- a hunch  more often needs to ferment, connect with other hunches. A hunch just might be the start of an idea.

• What will happen to my hunch?

  Once submitted, your hunch will appear on our site (unless, of course, it violates our terms and conditions found here). We’ll be checking the site regularly to include hunches we find here in “hunch jams” with our teammates at RWJF and with innovative thinkers around the country. Hunch jams are one tool we use to explore emerging trends and think about cutting edge ideas that could help us get to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right. 

• How will I know if my hunch has been used by RWJF?

  We look at all the hunches as they come in. We often include hunches from this site in “hunch jams” with our teammates at RWJF and with innovative thinkers around the country. We may reach out to invite you to join a hunch jam, or to let you know if your hunch inspired our thinking.

• Can I use or build on other people’s hunches?

  Hunches can be used freely by anyone visiting the site. If you need a refresher, check out our Terms & Conditions. We’d love to hear if a hunch you found here inspired you - send us an email and let us know at hunches@rwjf.org.

• Can I share other people’s hunches?

  Yes! We encourage you to share other people’s hunches--to get them out in the wild where they can collide with other hunches. We’ve tried to make that easy with social share buttons, but you can also rely on good old-fashioned cut and paste.

• What is a Hunch Stack?

  Using the stack function, you can select up to 20 hunches to appear side-by-side on a page. Just click the icon at the bottom of a hunch  to “add to your stack.” Have fun with it! Choose hunches all on one topic, or hunches that contradict each other, or a random selection--and see if your stack of hunches inspires a new hunch. You can create as many hunch stacks as you’d like -- but remember, you can’t save your stack to come back to later--it will only be available during your current website session.

• I saw a hunch by someone else that got me thinking. How can I contact the submitter so we can work together?

  We’re so glad your hunches collided! Send an email to hunches@rwjf.org telling us what hunch you’re interested in, and we’ll see if the author wants to get in touch.

• What is the Hunch Collider?

  We know that sparks happen when hunches collide. As Steven Johnson says “It's through the collision between those different ideas, those different world views and those different perspectives that people become more original thinkers.” We built the collider so you can see hunches truly at random--not filtered through a topic or an issue--to see whether it illuminates hidden threads or a stroke of serendipity. Give it a whirl!

• I had to share my email address when I submitted a hunch. What will you do with it?

  You must submit a valid email address to use the Site and the email address must be your email address. We will use your email address to notify you that your hunch has been received and when your hunch is live on the site. Additionally, we may reach out to you to discuss your hunch or or to or tell you about other work we (or our partners) are involved with that we think might be of interest to you.   

• I want to delete my hunch. How do I do that?

  We’re happy to take care of that for you. Send your hunch and the email address you used to submit the hunch to hunches@rwjf.org and we’ll make it disappear.

• What is a hunch room? Why is there a “hunch room” filter?

  We occasionally host in-person or virtual hunch jams focused on a certain topic. When we do, we sometimes use this site to gather those hunches in a hunch room. Hunches that appear in a specific hunch room also appear on the home page and all hunches page. You are welcome to explore our hunch rooms -- and free to pursue those hunches!