Newsletter 75: 31 tweets from mentors I never met

It’s my 31st birthday.

Dec 6, 2021

I am getting old.

It’s my 31st birthday. Given how much I have been writing lately, it feels right to document some of my learnings so far in life.

Given that I probably won’t share anything new, here you go, my favorite tweets from mentors I never met.

That’s my birthday present to all of you.

1. Fall in love with writing

Coopahtroopa (🔥,🔥) @Cooopahtroopa

Fall in love with writing. Write about everything that you love, as often as you can. It is the single greatest skill you can train. I would not be where I am today without writing. Gn.

My best decision of the past two years has been to write consistently. It helps you get clarity of thought. Nurture relationships. Attract like-minded people. Learn, and build portfolios in new fields.

2. Nurture your curiosity

Sam Altman @sama

I studied groups that have made outstanding technological achievements. What they have in common: Curiosity, a big vision, an initial attack vector, a way to measure progress, people oriented towards rapid advancement, and a relentless focus on the few things that matter.

I believe it all starts with curiosity. If I was not curious 11 years ago, I would have never left my home country, studied abroad, traveled the world, and reached where I am today.

3. Work hard to make something appear effortless

Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom

The Effort Paradox You have to put in more effort to make something appear effortless. Effortless, elegant performances are often the result of a large volume of effortful, gritty practice. Small things become big things. Simple is not simple.

There is a lot of talk about working smart instead of hard. However, to learn to work smart, you have to work hard first.

4. It’s okay to look stupid

Brian Armstrong @brian_armstrong

Great articulation: willingness to look stupid is a valuable skill. When learning some new topic I often feel stupid. When trying new ideas people often think they are stupid (e.g. starting Coinbase was like this). When diagnosing problems I like asking dumb questions.

Dan Luu @danluu

Willingness to look stupid https://t.co/0WrVAzLQ6g https://t.co/6NjysMwbch

We are often scared not to appear “stupid.” But how can you understand the foundations of a new field if you do not ask stupid questions?

5. Planning is underrated

Emmett Shear @eshear

Plans are useless, but planning is essential.

As the saying goes, “strong opinions, loosely held.” Always plan but embrace how things rarely unfold in accordance with our plans.

6. Surround yourself with great people but be ready to pay the price

Julie Zhuo @joulee

If you surround yourself with great people, you're going to get better faster. But the price you pay is the constant feeling of inadequacy. 1/5

If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.

7. Learn to listen before you speak

GREG ISENBERG @gregisenberg

Negotiation Active listening: “Requires that the listener fully concentrates, understands, responds and then remembers what is being said.” Point: the best negotiation tactic is to shut up and listen

It’s a hard to shut up and listen but we all can do it. It does not require any education, just patience, presentism, and empathy.

8. Start with full-stack projects

Patrick OShaughnessy @patrick_oshag

Early in your career, work on “full stack” projects. A full stack project is one which 1) is your idea 2) is your sole responsibility and 3) requires sales (meaning you have to convince someone of something -internal or external-to complete the project). After, all else pales.

Nothing accelerates learning like having skin in the game and accountability. Take ownership of a project. Launch a side hustle. It will pay back asymmetric dividends over time.

9. Study mental models

Julian Shapiro @Julian

Specifically, a wise person is doing one of two things: • Using a model to explain how a system works in a way you hadn’t realized. • Using a model to identify the best decision to make amid all the noise. Wise things I've heard fall into one of those two categories.

Mental models are frameworks for thinking. I have written on the topic multiple times, and each time I felt like I understood the world better (e.g., luck vs. hard work, first principles, and liquid knowledge).

10. The map is not the terrain

George Mack @george__mack

Bragging Razor: • If someone brags about their success or happiness, assume it’s half what they claim. • If someone downplays their success or happiness, assume it’s double what they claim. The map is not the terrain.

Never trust people who brag too much. We all face hardships. It’s unreasonable to believe someone has it all sorted out.

11. Have a strong bias for action

Visualize Value @visualizevalue

“Impatience with actions, patience with results.” — @naval

The best people I have met have an extreme bias for action.

12. Struggle leads to greatness

Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom

Become Antifragile In Greek mythology, the Hydra is a creature that has multiple heads. When 1 head is cut off, 2 grow back in its place. Life is random and chaotic. Don't be broken by the chaos—rather, adopt a mentality and build structure such that you will benefit from it.

As per Nassim Taleb’s book Antifragile, you need to become the kind of person that gets stronger from hardships. Not the other way around.

13. Find your gardening

GREG ISENBERG @gregisenberg

Okinawa is an Island in Japan with the highest life expectancy. It's called "the land of immortals" The secret: almost everybody gardens Entrepreneurship is a marathon not a sprint. Be sustainable Find your gardening.

Everything sustainable in life takes time. So take your time to find which marathon you want to run, and then enjoy the journey.

14. Solve a big problem = build a great business

Keith Rabois @rabois

Formula for startup success: Find large highly fragmented industry w low NPS; vertically integrate a solution to simplify value product.

Be happy whenever something frustrates you and you cannot find a good enough solution. You have stumbled on a startup opportunity.

15. Pay forward

Patrick OShaughnessy @patrick_oshag

Never ask to pick someone’s brain. Instead have something to offer, even if it’s just a well thought out idea. Often if you suggest something, and it’s good, the other person will give you a chance to do that thing. Not good to be needy.

The best relationships are built when you propose to deliver value. Unconditionally. The more selfless the offer, the better relationship you will create.

16. It’s okay not to have an opinion

George Mack @george__mack

Munger's Law: • Never allow yourself to have an opinion on a subject unless you can state the opposing argument better than the opposition can. Steelman Arguments > Strawman Arguments

Too often, we try to share an opinion when we have half-baked ideas in our heads. Learn to study a topic attentively before expressing strong opinions.

17. Seek wealth, not status

Naval @naval

Seek wealth, not money or status. Wealth is having assets that earn while you sleep. Money is how we transfer time and wealth. Status is your place in the social hierarchy.

Where you stand in the social hierarchy is secondary to your wealth. I personally avoid optimizing for status. Status is a zero-sum game; for one to win, another has to lose. Whereas growing your wealth does not take from anyone else.

18. Fire fast and hire slow

Emmett Shear @eshear

Letting an underperforming employee go is difficult and painful. You invested a lot in hiring them, and you want them to succeed. As a result you will almost always fire too late.

This applies to personal relationships too. If someone is toxic, let them go fast.

19. Everything has trade-offs

Julie Zhuo @joulee

Every glamour has its price. Most people think the price of winning--of greatness--is hard work and sacrifice. But beyond that, it's also the mental battle. The constant drumbeat of dissatisfaction. There is no end to it. Consistent high achievers learn to make peace w/it.

The more you know, the better you understand how little you know.

20. Help yourself first before you help others

Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom

Invest in yourself before you invest in others. (h/t @alex_skazka)

When you board a plane, you are told how, in the case of an emergency, you need to help yourself first. That logic applies to your personal growth and wealth too.

21. Be there for your friends

Erik Torenberg @eriktorenberg

Put people in business: If your friend is thinking about starting a company or fund, offer to be their first check if you can If they want to be a creator, offer to be their first subscriber Whatever they want to do, offer something that shows you believe They'll remember you

Starting anything new is hard, for some people even terrifying. If your friend is starting something new, be there for them, they will remember it for life.

22. Direction matters more than speed

Prof. Feynman @ProfFeynman

Direction is much more important than speed. 🧠

Moving to tech has been one of the best decisions of my life. Choose an industry that grows fast and attracts the smartest people you know.

23. Fall in love with solving problems

Andrew Gazdecki @agazdecki

Fall in love with solving problems.

Andrew Gazdecki @agazdecki

Fall in love with solving problems for your customers rather than making features at your startup.

Society will reward you for solving hard problems.

24. Read books that teach you how to think

Justin Kan @justinkan

If you can, read books that teach you how to think, not what to think.

Plenty of mediocre books out there. Be selective and find the good ones. As a general rule of thumb, if a book has survived the test of time it will most probably be good.

25. Lack of confidence kills more dreams than lack of ability

James Clear @JamesClear

Lack of confidence kills more dreams than lack of ability. Talent matters—especially at elite levels—but people talk themselves out of giving their best effort long before talent becomes the limiting factor. You're capable of more than you know. Don't be your own bottleneck.

I am a firm believer that talent is secondary to determination. Confidence is a key ingredient we all need to have to succeed.

26. Having complete control is not necessarily a good thing

Tim Ferriss @tferriss

“If you have everything under control, you’re not moving fast enough.” — Mario Andretti

To land in the zone of growth, you have to give up on comfort.

27. The story we tell ourselves matters

Alex Lieberman @businessbarista

We all have two experiences in life. First, what actually happens. Second, our story of what actually happened. Once you understand that distinction, you understand how important clarity of mind & thought truly is.

Reflecting on your personal narrative is important. Be careful how you shape it, as it will have a significant impact on your wellbeing.

28. Learn to sell. Learn to build

Naval @naval

Learn to sell. Learn to build. If you can do both, you will be unstoppable.

When speaking of sales Naval covers content creation, recruitment, fundraising, and a lot of other forms of communication. If you cannot master both selling and building, then become world-class in one of them.

29. Expect more from yourself and less from others

Orange Book 🍊📖 @orangebook_

You will be happier once you expect less from others and more from yourself.

It’s easy to blame others, instead focus on what you could have done better.

30. Be selectively ignorant

James Clear @JamesClear

Be “selectively ignorant.” Ignore topics that drain your attention. Unfollow people that drain your energy. Abandon projects that drain your time. Do not keep up with it all. The more selectively ignorant you become, the more broadly knowledgable you can be.

I do not watch TV, have unfollowed a ton of people, and avoid events/projects that drain my energy. The more I become selectively ignorant, the happier I am.

31. Make highly asymmetric bets with your career

Matt Clifford @matthewclifford

3/ Second, there exist highly asymmetric bets you can make with your career - low downside, uncapped upside - and making these bets repeatedly has probably the highest expected value of anything you can do with your time

In my case, that moment in time was pivoting to tech and starting companies. My upside is uncapped, whereas there is a limited downside. I am getting paid to work on my dreams, in the process building friends for life.

the Struggle

Newsletter 75: 31 tweets from mentors I never met

It’s my 31st birthday.

1. Fall in love with writing

2. Nurture your curiosity

3. Work hard to make something appear effortless

4. It’s okay to look stupid

5. Planning is underrated

6. Surround yourself with great people but be ready to pay the price

7. Learn to listen before you speak

8. Start with full-stack projects

9. Study mental models

10. The map is not the terrain

11. Have a strong bias for action

12. Struggle leads to greatness

13. Find your gardening

14. Solve a big problem = build a great business

15. Pay forward

16. It’s okay not to have an opinion

17. Seek wealth, not status

18. Fire fast and hire slow

19. Everything has trade-offs

20. Help yourself first before you help others

21. Be there for your friends

22. Direction matters more than speed

23. Fall in love with solving problems

24. Read books that teach you how to think

25. Lack of confidence kills more dreams than lack of ability

26. Having complete control is not necessarily a good thing

27. The story we tell ourselves matters

28. Learn to sell. Learn to build

29. Expect more from yourself and less from others

30. Be selectively ignorant

31. Make highly asymmetric bets with your career

Ready for more?