Recommendations

Access to information has never been easier with the internet. Unfortunately, there’s also a lot of noise out there that makes it difficult to find truly useful, thoughtful information. Good articles don’t always float to the top of searches and many answer questions you didn’t know to ask. Here’s a collection of links to articles that I’ve gathered over the years that have taught me important lessons around various topics. They aren’t necessarily long, but many come from first-hand experience that I would rather learn from someone else than experience myself. I re-read many of these frequently to remind me of these important ideas.

Business

Great Products vs Great Businesses: Understand the difference between making great products and building a sustainable business. Too many companies are running on investment money and can’t seem to make a profit (think Uber, Medium, etc). You need to make sure the numbers work.

80-20 Business Idea Validation: How to quickly test a business idea before deciding to commit to it. You need to answer two important questions: How many people want this product and will they spend enough on the product that I can start a meaningful business?

The Cook and the Chef: Musk’s Secret Sauce: A very lengthy deep dive into how Elon Musk thinks and how he creates innovate products/companies. Read this to understand how to come up with great ideas and execute them.

Marketing

Grow a Website from 0 to 10k Visitors in a Month: The most difficult part of launching a website is getting some initial traction. Some great tips on getting your first visitors

Investing

What if You Only Invested at Market Peaks?: Don’t try to time the market. Even the worst market timer who invests at the peaks has seen a huge increase in wealth. The market as a whole always goes up over time. Invest often and consistently, with minor tweaks.

Productivity

How to be Ridiculously Productive: Some excellent tactical tips on how to be productive. Read this and I”m sure you will add at least one idea to your routine.

The Mistake Smart People Make: Being In Motion vs. Taking Action: Productivity should only be measured based on outcomes. Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking that staying busy is the same as being productive.