June 26 2018

Content

1. On great mentors (Link)

A good mentor will:

1. push you harder than you expected
2. guide you with better questions
3. expect continuous improvement
4. dare you to dream big
5. challenge assumptions
6. be a lifelong student
7. appreciate self-taught mentees
8. teach you how to think, not what to think

Nice.

2. For a simpler life (Link)

Don’t Complicate Life.

Missing Somebody? Call.

Wanna Meet Up? Invite.

Wanna Be Understood? Explain.

Have Questions? Ask.

Don’t Like Something? Say It.

Like Something? Say It.

Want Something? Work for It.

Love Someone? Tell Them.

Yep :)

3. On future technologies (for possible startup ideas) (Link)

As a society we are underestimating the speed and magnitude of change relative to electric cars, autonomous cars, and energy transition. At the same time, “futurists” are overestimating the speed of AI progress

Benedict Evans from a16z adds “I increasingly think image recognition should be on such a list - Huge impact little understood as yet”

Autonomous cars, electric cars and image recognition will all impact who makes money.

4. Decision making and life advice (Link)

“Suppose you are evaluating a person — for example, a job candidate — and you make a list of his or her positive and negative qualities,” says Stanford GSB marketing professor Zakary Tormala. “Even assuming you come up with positives and negatives that are equally relevant and compelling, the negatives tend to carry more weight.”

Implication: “Invest in [and look for] strength, not lack of weakness”

(Though, for yourself, invest in your weaknesses if they inhibit your strengths)

5. Life advice (Link)

The best way to know thyself and know thy limits is to fuck up, push too far, but ultimately survive.

Everything else is just speculation and wishful thinking.

Seems right.

Bonus: 6. Life advice (Link)

Everyone wants to change their life. No one wants to change who they are.

Also seems right.

Therefore, one trick for figuring out what you could do - look at what you like doing / what seems like work to other people, but not to you. Then look at what people who are world class at those things can be. e.g. if you love learning new things, thinking strategically, etc, then a CEO or investor role may be particularly suited to you.

Please share with friends (or not if you do not love this).