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Every now and then, I come across an article or piece of content that really resonates with me. Here are some of those pieces.
PAul GRaham: The BUS Ticket Theory of Genius
The secret ingredient for doing great things? Obsessive interest. The odd few who collect bus tickets don't do this to impress people or benefit financially - they just have an obsessive interest in something that is seemingly pointless. The key? Have a disinterested obsession in something that actually matters. How do you know if it matters? You're creating something rather than consuming. And you're working on something difficult, preferably more difficult for others than it is for you. What about ability and determination? Interest is much more unevenly distributed than ability. And it's possible to cultivate interest - just remain irresponsible.
PG's Examples:
PG's Examples:
- Darwin: His infinite curiosity in natural history led him to evolution
- Ramunajan: The hours spent sitting outside by a lamp doing math led him to some of the most groundbreaking mathematics
- Tolkien: His years spent creating an imaginary elvish language formed the basis for the great Lord of the Rings novels
- Newton: His obsession with using math to describe the world formed the basis for what we today call physics
PAul Graham: LIfe IS Short
Life is short, especially when you consider time in discrete quantities and not continuously. This means arguments of the form "life is too short for x" should be taken seriously. Don't waste time on bullshit, whether it's forced on you or if it tricks you. How do you know if stuff matters? Ask yourself if you'll care about it in the future. We only realize how short life is when a window closes - the most striking of these being someone's death. So relentlessly prune the bullshit, don't wait to do things that matter and savor your time.
PG's Examples:
PG's Examples:
- The amount of time you spend on bullshit varies between employers. If you consciously prioritize bullshit avoidance over other factors like money and prestige, you can find employers that waste less of your time
- Technology makes things addictive. Hence, we need to make a more conscious effort to avoid addictions - ask yourself "is this how I want to spend my time?"
PAul Graham: The TOP of MY TODO LIst
A palliative nurse made a list of the biggest regrets of dying:
Said simply? Don't be a cog in the wheel, dutifully turning until one day you don't. So, what's at the top of PG's todo list? Don't ignore your dreams; don't work too much; say what you think; cultivate friendships; be happy.
http://www.paulgraham.com/todo.html
- I wish I lived a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me
- I wish I hadn't worked so hard
- I wish I had the courage to express my feelings
- I wish I had stayed in touch with friends
- I wish I let myself be happier
Said simply? Don't be a cog in the wheel, dutifully turning until one day you don't. So, what's at the top of PG's todo list? Don't ignore your dreams; don't work too much; say what you think; cultivate friendships; be happy.
http://www.paulgraham.com/todo.html
PAUL GRahaM: Do Things tHat Don't Scale
For Founders: Recruit users manually. And take extraordinary measures not only to acquire them, but to make them happy. Those first users should feel as if signing up was one of their best decisions. It seems unscalable but a) measure your weekly growth rate and b) remember the power of compounding. Even with an incomplete product, you can still give users a great experience if you’re attentive. The feedback from these earliest users will be the best you get.
And sometimes it doesn’t hurt to be extreme – pick a single user, act as if you are a consultant and build something just for them. In some cases, you can get away with doing things manually and automating them later. Also, focusing on narrow markets is good - and keep in mind big launches don’t often work.
PG's Examples:
And sometimes it doesn’t hurt to be extreme – pick a single user, act as if you are a consultant and build something just for them. In some cases, you can get away with doing things manually and automating them later. Also, focusing on narrow markets is good - and keep in mind big launches don’t often work.
PG's Examples:
- Airbnb: They went door to door in NYC, recruiting new users and helping existing ones improving their listings
- Wufoo: In the beginning, they sent each new user a hand-written thank you note
- Stripe: Delivered "instant" merchant accounts to its first users by manually signing them up for traditional merchant accounts
PAUL GraHaM: Write Like YOu Talk
Want people to read what you write? Then write in spoken language.
When most of us start writing, we use a different language than we'd use if talking with a friend. This written language is more complex and is harder to read. It's more formal, less familiar and overall, makes it easy for the reader's attention to drift.
So how do we actually write in spoken language? PG suggests writing first drafts the way you normally would, re-reading them and then asking yourself "is this the way I'd say this if this if I were talking to a friend?" If it isn't, imagine what you'd say, and use that instead. Before you finish, read everything out loud and fix the parts that don't sound like conversation.
It's so rare to read things that sound like spoken language. Doing this will put you way ahead of the curve. Just remember: don't let a sentence get through unless it's the way you'd say it to a friend.
http://www.paulgraham.com/talk.html
When most of us start writing, we use a different language than we'd use if talking with a friend. This written language is more complex and is harder to read. It's more formal, less familiar and overall, makes it easy for the reader's attention to drift.
So how do we actually write in spoken language? PG suggests writing first drafts the way you normally would, re-reading them and then asking yourself "is this the way I'd say this if this if I were talking to a friend?" If it isn't, imagine what you'd say, and use that instead. Before you finish, read everything out loud and fix the parts that don't sound like conversation.
It's so rare to read things that sound like spoken language. Doing this will put you way ahead of the curve. Just remember: don't let a sentence get through unless it's the way you'd say it to a friend.
http://www.paulgraham.com/talk.html
BILL GATES ON WHETHER SAVING MORE LIVES LEADS TO OVERPOPULATION
This is something i've often wondered myself. The short answer? No, because of a drastic effect where families have less children as health improves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obRG-2jurz0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obRG-2jurz0
ALPHASTAR: THE INSIDE STORY
An inside look into the first AI program that defeated a professional Starcraft player. It's pretty amazing to see how far AI has come, and to think about where it will go. Deepmind has a ton of awesome content on their YouTube channel if you're interested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuhECwm31dM&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuhECwm31dM&t=1s
BYRON WIEN'S LIFE LESSONS
Byron Wien is a legendary investor and is widely regarded as one of the most influential men on Wall Street. Throughout my time at Blackstone, I have been very fortunate to learn from him. His life lessons present great tenets to live by.
https://www.blackstone.com/press-releases/article/blackstones-byron-wien-discusses-lessons-learned-in-his-first-80-years/
https://www.blackstone.com/press-releases/article/blackstones-byron-wien-discusses-lessons-learned-in-his-first-80-years/
DON'T FOLLOW YOUR PASSION: BEN HOROWITZ'S COMMENCEMENT SPEECH AT COLUMBIA
Like most 2020 graduates, my graduation ceremony was canceled. To make up for this, I decided to binge-watch commencement speeches. This one was my favorite.
The moral of Ben Horowitz’s speech is: think for yourself. It sounds simple but is quite profound.
As humans, we are desperate to be liked. The easiest way to be liked is to tell people what they want to hear. And what do people want to hear? What they already believe to be true.
To create value, look for things you believe that no one around you believes. As a venture investor, this is what Horowitz looks for. For example:
Horowitz leaves us with some unconventional graduation thoughts:
The moral of Ben Horowitz’s speech is: think for yourself. It sounds simple but is quite profound.
As humans, we are desperate to be liked. The easiest way to be liked is to tell people what they want to hear. And what do people want to hear? What they already believe to be true.
To create value, look for things you believe that no one around you believes. As a venture investor, this is what Horowitz looks for. For example:
- Making batteries last longer - everyone thinks this is a good idea, so everybody wants to build it
- Sleeping on a stranger’s air mattress. That’s a unique idea, and led to Airbnb
Horowitz leaves us with some unconventional graduation thoughts:
- Don’t follow your passion. Successful people say they love what they do, but maybe they just love being successful
- It’s also hard to prioritize passions, and they constantly change. It’s easier to figure out what you’re good at
- Following your passion is a self-centric view of the world. With time, you realize that what you put into this world is much more important than what you take. So, follow your contribution. Find what you are good at, and put it into the world
- Remain optimistic. What’s remarkable about the world is not the unprecedented challenges, it is the unprecedented opportunities