7 korrents from this piece
Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.
Our reading
Their wordsThe way to figure out what to work on is by working. If you're not sure what to work on, guess. But pick something and get going.
Our reading
Their wordsWhat are you excessively curious about — curious to a degree that would bore most other people? That's what you're looking for.
Our reading
Outlier ideas are worth chasing especially when other people are not interested in them.
Their wordsBoldly chase outlier ideas, even if other people aren't interested in them — in fact, especially if they aren't.
Our reading
Their wordsFour steps: choose a field, learn enough to get to the frontier, notice gaps, explore promising ones. This is how practically everyone who's done great work has done it, from painters to physicists.
Our reading
Their wordsOne reason per-project procrastination is so dangerous is that it usually camouflages itself as work. You're not just sitting around doing nothing; you're working industriously on something else.
Our reading
Their wordsMorale compounds via work: high morale helps you do good work, which increases your morale and helps you do even better work. But this cycle also operates in the other direction: if you're not doing good work, that can demoralize you and make it even harder to.
Our reading
Their wordsThe value of an audience doesn't grow anything like linearly with its size. Which is bad news if you're famous, but good news if you're just starting out, because it means a small but dedicated audience can be enough to sustain you. If a handful of people genuinely love what you're doing, that's enough.