My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
People will always talk to journalists if you understand their motivations
Evidence
Even hostile sources eventually open up when approached correctly - people want their story told, want recognition, want to settle scores, or want to be part of something bigger
Implication
No story is impossible to report if you're willing to invest the time to understand what each potential source wants and needs
Counter Belief
Some people genuinely want privacy and will never talk regardless of approach
Example Application
Spending weeks with Ross Ulbricht's ex-girlfriend to understand her perspective because she wanted closure and to be part of the historical record
Related Knowledge
Story Supremacy Principle
A company's narrative and ability to tell a compelling story about their product is more important than the actual quali
Reality Distortion Field
A psychological influence technique where a charismatic person convinces others that their initial judgment or story is wrong, making them believe an alternative narrative even when evidence contradicts it.
Create definitive, unassailable narrative non-fiction through exhaustive research
You know things about your subject that they don't know about themselves.
I don't believe people should write about other people until they have been written about themselves
You can't understand how it feels to be the subject of critical reporting until you experience it yourself
The best product Jack dorsy ever made was Jack dorsy
Jack Dorsey's greatest achievement was crafting his own public persona and narrative, not any actual product
90% of media is broken beyond repair due to opinion infiltrating reporting, but AI might be the only
Traditional journalism training emphasized impartiality, but internet economics and social media incentivized opinion-based content because it gets more engagement and subscriptions.