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
Returns for performance are superlinear rather than proportional across most domains that matter.
Their wordsOne of the most important things I didn't understand about the world when I was a child is the degree to which the returns for performance are superlinear.
Our reading
Their wordsBut superlinear returns for performance are a feature of the world, not an artifact of rules we've invented. We see the same pattern in fame, power, military victories, knowledge, and even benefit to humanity. In all of these, the rich get richer.
Our reading
Their wordsIt may seem as if there are a lot of different situations with superlinear returns, but as far as I can tell they reduce to two fundamental causes: exponential growth and thresholds.
Our reading
Their wordsWhich yields another heuristic: always be learning. If you're not learning, you're probably not on a path that leads to superlinear returns.
Our reading
Their wordsExposing oneself to superlinear returns is not for everyone. Most people will be better off as part of the pool.
Our reading
Their wordsAt the far end of the curve, incremental effort is a bargain. All the more so because there's less competition at the far end — and not just for the obvious reason that it's hard to do something exceptionally well, but also because people find the prospect so intimidating that few even try.
Our reading
Their wordsSuperlinear returns imply inequality. The steeper the return curve, the greater the variation in outcomes.