"Start Asking Better Questions" Structured Twill Cap — Stretch Fit, S/M & L/XL
"Start Asking Better Questions" Structured Twill Cap — Stretch Fit, S/M & L/XL
Start Asking Better Questions
The word is "better."
Everyone asks questions constantly. Most of them are bad, and most people have no idea which of theirs are.
What a bad question looks like
Rhetorical — you already have the answer and you're delivering it with a question mark on the end. Nobody is fooled, including you.
Defensive — built to win the exchange rather than to find anything out. You'd know, because you already know what answer would be inconvenient.
Too small — aimed at the symptom, because the cause would require doing something.
Asked of the wrong person — because the right person might tell you something you'd then have to act on.
What a better one looks like
One where you don't know the answer, and where the answer could change your mind.
That's the whole test and it's harder than it sounds. Most people go weeks without asking one.
It's uncomfortable by design — a real question puts you in a position where you might be wrong, in front of somebody, on purpose. Which is exactly why it's the fastest way to find anything out.
It's the only instruction we make
Most of what we put on things is an observation. Something we noticed, stated flat, left with you.
This one is a direction, and it's the one underneath most of the others.
One small thing about this hat
It's the only cap we make that comes in sizes.
Everything else in the store is one-size — you grab it and it fits. This one you have to measure for.
You have to know something about yourself before you can buy it. That felt appropriate.
The cap
63% polyester, 34% cotton, 3% spandex. The spandex is why it moves with you and stays put rather than shifting when you do.
Closed back with an elastic stretch band — no snap, no buckle, nothing hard at the back of your head.
Structured six-panel with an athletic shape and a curved visor. Six embroidered eyelets. Silver undervisor, which reflects rather than absorbs and cuts glare off the underside of the brim.
$39.99.
Sizing
Two sizes, no adjuster.
| Size | Head circumference | Crown height |
|---|---|---|
| S/M | 21¼″ – 22¾″ (54–57.8 cm) | 4½″ |
| L/XL | 22⅜″ – 23⅞″ (56.8–60.6 cm) | 4⅞″ |
To measure: wrap a non-stretchable tape around your head, keeping it 1″ (2.5 cm) above your ears.
Between 22⅜″ and 22¾″? Either fits. S/M sits closer with a slightly lower crown, L/XL has more room and stands marginally taller.
Unsure? Email support@distributethis.com with your measurement and we'll tell you which to order.
Who it's for
Anyone whose job is finding things out. Researchers, journalists, investigators, analysts, diagnosticians, auditors.
Teachers and coaches, whose entire method is asking a better question than the obvious one.
Therapists, and anyone in a room where the first thing someone says is rarely the thing.
Managers and leads, for whom "what's actually going on here" is a more useful opening than any statement.
Consultants, product people, and anyone paid to work out what the real problem is before solving the wrong one.
And anyone who's noticed how many of their own questions were rhetorical.
As a gift
It reads as a compliment about how someone thinks, which is a rare thing for a hat to manage.
- For a teacher, coach, or mentor
- For a researcher, journalist, or analyst
- Graduation — it's better advice than most graduation gifts carry
- For a new manager
- For someone starting a PhD, an investigation, or a difficult project
- For anyone who asks good ones already, as recognition
Office-safe, non-political, universally legible. Nobody has ever been offended by it.
Specifications
- 63% polyester, 34% cotton, 3% spandex twill
- Structured, 6-panel, mid-profile with a low-profile embroidery area
- Athletic shape with curved visor
- 6 embroidered eyelets
- Elastic stretch band, closed back
- Silver undervisor
- S/M: 21¼″–22¾″ · L/XL: 22⅜″–23⅞″
- Original design by the creator of DistributeThis
- Blank product sourced from Vietnam or Bangladesh
Frequently asked questions
What does the cap say? "Start Asking Better Questions."
Better than what? Than the ones most people ask. Rhetorical ones, where you already have the answer. Defensive ones, built to win. Small ones, aimed at the symptom. And ones asked of the wrong person on purpose.
What makes a question better? You don't know the answer, and the answer could change your mind. That's the whole test, and most people go weeks without asking one.
What size should I get? S/M fits 21¼″–22¾″, L/XL fits 22⅜″–23⅞″. This is the only cap we make with sizes and no adjuster. Measure 1″ above your ears. Between 22⅜″ and 22¾″, either works.
Why is there no snapback? It's a closed-back cap with an elastic stretch band — nothing hard at the back of your head.
Why does this cost more than some of your other caps?
It's embroidered rather than printed. Stitching is slower and more expensive than printing, and it lasts considerably longer. Our embroidered caps are $39.99; our printed caps are $34.99
How do I clean it? Spot clean with cool water and mild detergent, air dry on a form. Don't machine wash — the structured crown loses shape and the elastic band degrades.