essay · 2023
Paul Graham · read the source
“The way to figure out what to work on is by working.”
Paul Graham, How to Do Great Work (2023) · read it
Kept because planning what to do is easier than doing anything, and feels like progress. Graham's claim is that the right problem only becomes visible from inside some problem. Start, then steer.
“Curiosity is the best guide. Your curiosity never lies, and it knows more than you do about what's worth paying attention to.”
Paul Graham, How to Do Great Work (2023) · read it
Kept as a decision rule for the many choices that have no data. When two options look equal on paper, the one you keep reading about at midnight is not equal.
“If you're excited about some possibility that everyone else ignores, and you have enough expertise to say precisely what they're all overlooking, that's as good a bet as you'll find.”
Paul Graham, How to Do Great Work (2023) · read it
Kept because it has two conditions, and people remember only the first. Excitement about a neglected idea is cheap. Being able to say precisely what the crowd is missing is the part that makes it a bet rather than a hope.
