Be incredibly sincere, authentic, and humble in your endeavors, as this trait correlates with durable success and is the opposite of superficial ‘hacks’ or affectations.
Start a company or project with the primary goal of solving a real problem in the world that you deeply understand and believe technology can address, rather than just wanting to be a founder.
Concentrate on building real enterprise value and solving problems over 5-15 years, rather than chasing short-term popularity, status, or superficial metrics like social media followers.
Avoid distractions like chasing social media followers, excessive fundraising, or ‘high-status’ activities, as taking your eye off core building can lead to startup failure.
Recognize that significant future value often originates from early-stage, ’low-status’ work deep in the weeds, so be willing to engage in fundamental, unglamorous tasks.
Overcome the fear of rejection by actively and quickly seeking ’no’ from potential leads, allowing you to efficiently move on to more promising opportunities.
When using AI models, divide complex tasks into smaller, sequential steps within prompts to reduce hallucinations and achieve more deterministic, reliable outputs.
To effectively leverage AI for knowledge work, meticulously model how a human would perform a task, break it into discrete steps, and create evaluations for each step.
Understand that the underlying AI model is not the moat; instead, focus on developing proprietary ‘golden evals’ (test sets) and a superior, intuitive user experience.
Always assume that AI models will rapidly improve, and design your strategy to adapt to these advancements rather than relying on current model limitations as a long-term competitive advantage.
Strive for direct, clear communication and be vigilant against artifice or ‘bullshit’ in your own and others’ messaging, as it reflects clear thinking.
Develop a concise two-sentence pitch that clearly explains ‘what it is’ and ‘why it’s important,’ as it’s crucial for communicating your vision and attracting support in brief encounters.
Dedicate significant time to iterating, whittling down words, and combining complex concepts into concise language, recognizing that this process is a form of deep thinking.
Develop the ability to understand a topic at various levels of detail, from high-level strategy to granular specifics, without getting frustrated by complexity.
Seek out and engage with communities of people who are genuinely and earnestly trying to build things, as this environment can significantly amplify your own efforts.
Continuously analyze both successes and failures in your selection and decision-making processes to refine your judgment and improve future outcomes.
Increase your chances of success by being physically present in established innovation hubs like San Francisco, where the culture of building is pervasive.
Be willing to decline profitable opportunities if they conflict with your ethical principles or could have negative societal consequences, even if they are likely to make money.
Design educational experiences that actively increase children’s agency and decision-making skills, such as through interactive games and open-ended play, rather than systems that take agency away.
Support policies and technologies that promote open systems and consumer choice, as these are fundamental to liberty and human flourishing.
Implement mechanisms (e.g., regulatory frameworks) that prevent complacency and encourage ongoing innovation by automatically eroding advantages over time.
Even with highly capable AI systems, ensure a human remains in the loop to exercise judgment and intervene when necessary, similar to an autopilot with a pilot.
Use clickbait titles for YouTube videos to improve click-through rates, but ensure they are relevant enough to the content to maintain watch time.
Create distinct and recognizable YouTube thumbnails, often featuring a person looking at the camera and a consistent style, to improve brand recognition and click-through.
Actively ask viewers to like, subscribe, and especially hit the bell icon, as notifications are the most effective way to ensure your content reaches them.