Tap a claim on the ring to put it at the centre.
← It can be argued that a narrow area of competence need not hurt, since rigid devotion to it allows focus.
17 connected korrents · 15 moments from 14 May 1998 to 21 Sept 2026.
Everything filed under ambition
ambition
Everything filed under agency
agency
Everything filed under motivation
motivation
Everything filed under startups
startups
Everything filed under mental models
mental models
Everything filed under curiosity
curiosity
Everything filed under politics
politics
Everything filed under education
education Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Read this korrent: It can be argued that a narrow area of competence need not hurt, since rigid devotion to it allows focus. It can be argued that a narrow area of competence need not hurt, since rigid devotion to it allows focus. Last stated 13 years ago
1 Dec 2013
SP
Shane Parrish — holds since 2013-12-01 — tap for who they are
Same subject: The size of a person's circle of competence matters less than knowing when they are approaching its perimeter. — tap to centre the map on it The size of a person's circle of competence matters less than knowing when they are approaching its perimeter. Last stated 13 years ago
1 Dec 2013
SP
Shane Parrish — holds since 2013-12-01 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Instinctive reluctance to disagree is a great barrier to learning, and thoughtful disagreement is not easy for many people. — tap to centre the map on it Instinctive reluctance to disagree is a great barrier to learning, and thoughtful disagreement is not easy for many people. Last stated 4 years ago
27 Sept 2022
RD
Ray Dalio — holds since 2022-09-27 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Focus and simplicity are worth the work: simple can be harder than complex, because the thinking has to be got clean, but once there one can move mountains. — tap to centre the map on it Focus and simplicity are worth the work: simple can be harder than complex, because the thinking has to be got clean, but once there one can move mountains. Last stated 28 years ago
14 May 1998
SJ
Steve Jobs — holds since 1998-05-14 — tap for who they are
Same subject: One good story outweighs a mountain of evidence, because most emotions cannot be argued with. — tap to centre the map on it One good story outweighs a mountain of evidence, because most emotions cannot be argued with. Last stated 9 months ago
20 Jan 2026
DS
Derek Sivers — holds since 2026-01-20 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A skill goes to waste only when insecurity or outside pressure stops someone from pursuing it, not merely by going unused. — tap to centre the map on it A skill goes to waste only when insecurity or outside pressure stops someone from pursuing it, not merely by going unused. Last stated 7 months ago
11 Mar 2026
MA
Mari Andrew — holds since 2026-03-11 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Teaching that reflects political commitments is a legitimate part of intellectual diversity, not a violation of academic norms — tap to centre the map on it Teaching that reflects political commitments is a legitimate part of intellectual diversity, not a violation of academic norms Last stated 4 weeks ago
10 Sept 2026
DD
Daniel W. Drezner — holds since 2026-09-10 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Doing less and doing it better is worth pursuing as an end in itself, because a life with both freedom and focus is a life well lived. — tap to centre the map on it Doing less and doing it better is worth pursuing as an end in itself, because a life with both freedom and focus is a life well lived. Last stated 16 years ago
27 Aug 2010
CN
Cal Newport — holds since 2010-08-27 — tap for who they are
Same subject: You want to force yourself not to delegate all of your thinking to the tool, and to use it in a way that expands ideas and magnifies curiosity. — tap to centre the map on it You want to force yourself not to delegate all of your thinking to the tool, and to use it in a way that expands ideas and magnifies curiosity. Last stated 3 months ago
21 Jul 2026
PS
Pablo Stanley — holds since 2026-07-21 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A drop in agency is the earliest sign of burnout, arriving before you consciously notice you are burning out. — tap to centre the map on it A drop in agency is the earliest sign of burnout, arriving before you consciously notice you are burning out. Last stated 3 years ago
10 Jan 2024
CH
Cate Hall — holds since 2024-01-10 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A founder who picks an idea because the market wants it will give up, because nobody can persist at something that was never important to them. — tap to centre the map on it A founder who picks an idea because the market wants it will give up, because nobody can persist at something that was never important to them. Last stated 2 years ago
19 Jun 2024
AS
Aravind Srinivas — holds since 2024-06-19 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A general inclination of all humankind is a perpetual, restless desire of power after power that ends only in death — tap to centre the map on it A general inclination of all humankind is a perpetual, restless desire of power after power that ends only in death
TH
Thomas Hobbes — holds since c. 1651 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A business can use stewardship of a community publication as a top-of-funnel customer acquisition strategy without needing the publication itself to generate revenue directly. — tap to centre the map on it A business can use stewardship of a community publication as a top-of-funnel customer acquisition strategy without needing the publication itself to generate revenue directly. Last stated 3 weeks ago
21 Sept 2026
CC
Chris Coyier — holds since 2026-09-21 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A CEO can master both peacetime and wartime leadership, but it is hard — tap to centre the map on it A CEO can master both peacetime and wartime leadership, but it is hard Last stated 15 years ago
14 Apr 2011
BH
Ben Horowitz — holds since 2011-04-14 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A company can produce a good commercial without a large budget — tap to centre the map on it A company can produce a good commercial without a large budget Last stated 4 years ago
21 Mar 2023
DH
David Heinemeier Hansson — holds since 2023-03-21 — tap for who they are
Same subject: “Why now?” is the wrong question to make a founder answer — the honest answer can simply be that you started now. — tap to centre the map on it “Why now?” is the wrong question to make a founder answer — the honest answer can simply be that you started now. Last stated 2 months ago
28 Jul 2026
BS
Blake Scholl — holds since 2026-07-28 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A belief nobody else shares is a warning, and a belief everybody shares is also a warning; the right number of people who agree with you is small but not zero. — tap to centre the map on it A belief nobody else shares is a warning, and a belief everybody shares is also a warning; the right number of people who agree with you is small but not zero. Last stated 2 months ago
28 Jul 2026
SA
Sam Altman — holds since 2026-07-28 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A business can have market fit, real advantages, and sustained effort behind a hard product and still fail if it doesn't give customers a strong enough reason to switch from what they already use. — tap to centre the map on it A business can have market fit, real advantages, and sustained effort behind a hard product and still fail if it doesn't give customers a strong enough reason to switch from what they already use. Last stated 4 months ago
2 Jun 2026
JJ
Justin Jackson — holds since 2026-06-02 — tap for who they are
At the centre
It can be argued that a narrow area of competence need not hurt, since rigid devotion to it allows focus.
Holds Read this korrent →
The size of a person's circle of competence matters less than knowing when they are approaching its perimeter.
Holds
Instinctive reluctance to disagree is a great barrier to learning, and thoughtful disagreement is not easy for many people.
Holds
Focus and simplicity are worth the work: simple can be harder than complex, because the thinking has to be got clean, but once there one can move mountains.
Holds
One good story outweighs a mountain of evidence, because most emotions cannot be argued with.
Holds
A skill goes to waste only when insecurity or outside pressure stops someone from pursuing it, not merely by going unused.
Holds
Teaching that reflects political commitments is a legitimate part of intellectual diversity, not a violation of academic norms
Holds
Doing less and doing it better is worth pursuing as an end in itself, because a life with both freedom and focus is a life well lived.
Holds
You want to force yourself not to delegate all of your thinking to the tool, and to use it in a way that expands ideas and magnifies curiosity.
Holds
A drop in agency is the earliest sign of burnout, arriving before you consciously notice you are burning out.
Holds
A founder who picks an idea because the market wants it will give up, because nobody can persist at something that was never important to them.
Holds
A general inclination of all humankind is a perpetual, restless desire of power after power that ends only in death
Last stated c. 1651
Holds
A business can use stewardship of a community publication as a top-of-funnel customer acquisition strategy without needing the publication itself to generate revenue directly.
Holds
A CEO can master both peacetime and wartime leadership, but it is hard
Holds
A company can produce a good commercial without a large budget
Holds
“Why now?” is the wrong question to make a founder answer — the honest answer can simply be that you started now.
Holds
A belief nobody else shares is a warning, and a belief everybody shares is also a warning; the right number of people who agree with you is small but not zero.
Holds
A business can have market fit, real advantages, and sustained effort behind a hard product and still fail if it doesn't give customers a strong enough reason to switch from what they already use.
Holds