core beliefs
embrace risk and map opportunities
don't map risk and lose opportunities. acting is the most important thing you can do. be humble to learn but act.
speed is everything
the most consistent trait in the 0.01% is speed. a bias to action. impatience in the day-to-day (but not impulsive), patience in the long term. every day there is a push, an intolerance for inaction.
test ideas relentlessly
the key to success isn't how good your ideas are, it's how good you are at finding quick, cheap ways to test them. all ideas are bad ideas until they collide with reality. build a habit of trying 3-4 ideas per day.
surround yourself with excellence
the people around you shape your trajectory. seek out those who challenge you, who have higher standards, who make you better. never compromise on the quality of your circle.
obsess about serving others
whether it's customers, colleagues, or your community, this is the only thing that matters. do things that don't scale. find 100 people who love what you do. when stuck, talk to the people you serve in person.
distribution over creation
the best idea in the world means nothing if no one knows about it. focus on how you reach people, how you communicate value, how you build trust. execution and distribution beat perfection.
focus is non-negotiable
one goal, one market, one problem, one solution at a time. a lack of focus means certain death. you need to focus on one thing and do it extremely well before moving onto the next.
on creating
ship your work and share it with the world. never wait for perfect. the competition is irrelevant. if you want to win, never mention them. ever.
build something you yourself would want. make it beautiful. people demonstrably care about aesthetics. think about the craft and beauty you want to share with the world. most things can be done better if you care.
your first idea is unlikely to be the one that works. it could take up to 16 iterations before you find what resonates. the quicker you get through the cycle, the quicker you grow.
write all big ideas down. clarify your thoughts and thinking. if there's a big decision, write a document. most meetings are a waste of time.
on working with others
high-performance teams aren't families, they're sports teams. you can't fire your family. build relationships with people who are excited about the mission. if you can deliver happiness to them, everyone wins.
there's a difference between 8s, 9s, and 10s. 8s just do what they're told. 9s are great at executing strategies. 10s sense problems, design solutions, and drive change without being told. be a 10. work with 10s.
constantly seek out talent that's undervalued. people early in their journey who no one else recognises. they're more likely to grow with you.
give feedback in the moment. don't harbour resentment. feedback is a gift. strong beliefs, weakly held. the best ideas should win. embrace conflict when done respectfully because conflict breeds creativity.
on building something great
the enemy of greatness is everyone else's life: endless vacations, conferences, comfort. things don't die, they fade away. building something meaningful is full time. 100%. every minute matters.
pain and suffering is the unavoidable, necessary path to success. a lack of momentum means death. collect small wins every day. consistency creates compound, which creates outsized results in the long run.
market over everything. it's not really about talent or product quality. find a big opportunity, find who's winning, build something better for their audience.
technical moats don't exist. the only real moats are: unique datasets, network effects, shipping velocity, workflows, and brand.
influential thinkers
Abdul Abdulkerimov, Ali Mazanderani, Edu Pontes, Brian Chesky, Sam Altman, Paul Graham, Nat Friedman, Marc Randolph, Naval Ravikant, Jack Welch, Keith Rabois, Ray Dalio, Jeff Bezos, Daniel Gross, Patrick Collison