My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
The most successful people optimize for being useful to others rather than extracting value
Evidence
Ben Levy's connection success comes from constantly looking for ways to help others. Charlie Munger's tombstone philosophy of 'trying to be useful.'
Implication
Building relationships and business success should focus on contribution rather than acquisition
Counter Belief
Success requires aggressive value capture and zero-sum competition
Example Application
After meetings, focus on finding ways to connect people with relevant resources or introductions rather than asking for immediate favors or returns.
Related Knowledge
What Experts Notice Framework
A learning strategy where you observe what captures the attention of domain experts, using their selective focus as a guide to understand what matters most in their field.
Hated and Unloved Investment Strategy
An investment approach that specifically targets assets that are widely disliked or ignored by the market, betting that negative sentiment creates undervaluation opportunities.
Passion Project Connection Strategy
A relationship-building approach that focuses conversations on people's current passionate interests rather than their well-known achievements, creating deeper engagement and authentic connection.
Optimize for decision quality and strategic thinking over activity and busyness
Clear daily schedule with time for deep thinking, reading, and strategic decisions.
I look for things that are hated and unloved
Investment strategy focused on assets with widespread negative sentiment, betting that hatred creates undervaluation opp
Pay attention to what other people pay attention to
Learning strategy where you observe what captures experts' attention as a way to understand their mental models and prio