Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
Reading Mark Suster‘s excellent post, “Why You Need To Take 50 Coffee Meetings” brought to mind one of my personal corollaries: Talk with everyone. I’m a relatively small-time investor. It’s a documented fact, and I don’t try to hide it. But that means that I need to deliver value beyond money if I’m going to … Continue reading Talk With Everyone
“Lyn St James, who drove in the Indy 500, once told me that if you want to win in sports, it’s very much like life. First you have to learn the rules, then you have to play by the rules. Then you have to win by their rules, and only then can you change the … Continue reading “The Rules”
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” –Mark Twain
This insight comes from famed TV producer Stephen Bochco (Doogie Howser, NYPD Blue) by way of Neil Patrick Harris, who told the story on Kevin Pollak’s chat show.Harris became a TV star at a very young age, thanks to Bochco, but after his run as Doogie Howser ended, he went through a long dry spell. … Continue reading The Parable of the Waves
Plumbers and garbagemen make a good living despite their lack of PHP coding skills. That’s because they’re willing to do the necessary but unpleasant. Basic economics teaches us that prices are determined by supply and demand. Scarce skills like being able to throw a baseball 100 miles an hour are highly compensated. But talent isn’t … Continue reading To Make Money, Be A Garbageman
When entrepreneurs come to me, I always point out the following: 1) The chances of a venture-backed startup being a hit and returning meaningful wealth are about 1 in 10. 2) You’re likely to have about 20-25 years in your career where you can found a company. 3) Each time you found a company, you’re … Continue reading Entrepreneurship is about happiness, not wealth
Zen Habits has a post up called “The Get-Started-Now Guide to Becoming Self-Employed“ As with most ZH posts, it’s well-written and thoughtful, but that’s not what I’m blogging about. Regardless of what you think or what your W-2 says, you are already self-employed. If you want to be successful, start thinking of yourself as a … Continue reading Becoming Self-Employed? You Already Are!
“If you’re itching to make your life something amazing, consider spending less time daydreaming about defying the status quo and answering the critics of your decision, and spending more time gearing yourself up for the challenge of becoming so good that they can’t ignore you.” –Cal Newport, Study Hacks
If you’re born into the poorest quintile, and don’t get a college degree, you have a 32% chance of making it into the middle class or above (top 3 quintiles). That rises to 62% if you get a college degree. Getting a college degree doubles your chance of having a successful life (if having a … Continue reading Education Is Destiny: Educated Poor Do As Well As The Lazy Rich
Just as I’ve recently realized that I’ve gradually evolved from a self-proclaimed child prodigy into a grey-haired voice of experience, I’ve also found that I’ve come to know a lot of important and influential people. Just in the past week, seemingly at random, I’ve had friends who are spending the day with Bill Clinton, launching … Continue reading The Secret, Foolproof, 4-Step Way To Get To Know The Important And Influential