Chi Kang Pai●

Lessons from Paul Graham's How to do great work

January 22, 2023 · Thoughts

I came across Paul Graham's essay during my military service, and it really resonated with me. Without the distraction of social media, I found the essay very enjoyable. I believe it's worth sharing not only with those close to me but with anyone who has ambition.

Initially, I was skeptical about self-growth literature, questioning the idea that success could be replicated. However, I've come to appreciate that while success may not have a one-size-fits-all formula, we can embrace principles that resonate with us.

Key Takeaways

Start Working and Own Your Projects

The way to figure out what to work on is by working, but don’t let “work” mean something other people tell you to do.

The idea that opportunities materialize like lightbulbs suddenly flickering on in our minds is misguided. True opportunities emerge from actual effort and engagement.

Consider startups as an example: Many successful products didn’t start out perfect; they iterated and learned from user feedback. YouTube, initially a dating site, and the early-stage Facebook code were far from flawless. Launching and actively working on projects are crucial for ambitious individuals and startups.

Owning your projects means embracing risk and responsibility. This mindset offers higher incentives and greater rewards. The satisfaction of building something tangible is unparalleled. While I’ve worked diligently, I aspire to allocate more time to hands-on creation in the future.

Get to the Frontier of a Field

Choose a field, learn enough to get to the frontier, notice gaps, explore promising ones.

Paul Graham emphasizes the concept of “noticing” in his essay, “How to Get Startup Ideas.” He asserts that the operative verb isn’t “think up” but “notice.”

At YC, we recognize ideas stemming from founders’ personal experiences as ‘organic’ startup concepts.

The term “organic” implies ideas that arise naturally. To cultivate such ideas, one must first put in hard work and immerse themselves in a rapidly evolving field. My takeaway is to focus on a few fields with significant innovation and actively seek out problems to “notice” potential startup ideas.

During my grad school visit, I encountered a world-class researcher who echoed similar sentiments. Her consistent stream of excellent ideas resulted from extensive research into gaps within innovative fields.

Target of Luck

You need to make yourself a big target for luck, and the way to do that is to be curious. Try lots of things, meet lots of people, read lots of books, ask lots of questions.

Research supports randomness over talent. Rather than relying solely on serendipity, we can actively create our own “luck” by seeking knowledge, networking, and remaining curious. This proactive stance increases our chances of encountering pivotal moments or “Green Lights.”

I’ve personally engaged in writing and conversations to amplify my exposure to these “Green Lights,” resulting in numerous opportunities.

However, even if these opportunities don’t materialize, preparation remains essential. I believe there’s much more I can accomplish before encountering those greenlight moments, and I value the feedback gained along the way.

Optimize for Interestingness

If you’re interested, you’re not astray. So optimize for interestingness.

Our lives are filled with distractions—friends landing lucrative job offers, neighbors flaunting cryptocurrency successes. Yet, if you’re truly passionate about your work and fully committed, these diversions won’t lead you astray.

Don’t Plan Too Much

Don’t plan too much. At each stage do whatever seems most interesting and gives you the best options for the future.

The advice “Don’t plan too much” doesn’t mean avoiding strategic thinking. Setting consistent goals and tackling challenges remains crucial. However, beware of overly specific targets or lackluster ambitions.

In other words, don’t limit the vast array of possible futures, but within that spectrum, be practical.

Unfashion

Unfashionable problems are undervalued.

In “How to Get Startup Ideas,” Paul Graham advises turning off two filters: the “unsexy filter” and the “schlep filter.” Recently, during Y Combinator lectures, they emphasized that seemingly mundane companies and fields often harbor fertile idea spaces. These overlooked problems still require solving.

Be Prolific, Notice Power Law

Start lots of small things. However, don’t divide your attention evenly between many topics though, or you’ll spread yourself too thin. You want to distribute it according to something more like a power law.

Power Law demonstration

I wish I’d encountered this quote earlier. For years, I confused busyness with true productivity, stretching myself thin across various pursuits. It took setbacks to clarify this.

Understanding the power law is crucial. While I once believed evenly distributing resources was low-risk, I now see its inefficiency.

Learn from failures!

Be a Risk Taker

Take as much risk as you can afford. In an efficient market, risk is proportionate to reward, so don’t look for certainty, but for a bet with high expected value. If you’re not failing occasionally, you’re probably being too conservative.

As mentioned earlier, I overlooked the power law’s implications during university. This affected my morale.

Another perspective: By exploring diverse fields, I stumbled upon unexpected opportunities. Now, I focus on one or two crucial, somewhat risky endeavors.

Environment

If a lot of the best people in your field are collected in one place, it’s usually a good idea to visit for a while. It will increase your ambition, and also, by showing you that these people are human, increase your self-confidence.

I am amazed by how the people around me have influenced my growth. During my exchange student experience in California, I discovered the transformative power of technology and optimism. Interning in software engineering at Heptabase, I realized that individuals with backgrounds similar to mine can achieve remarkable results through focus, independent thinking, and authenticity. My desire to pursue PhD programs in schools like Harvard stems from a passion for engaging in intellectually stimulating endeavors and surrounding myself with fascinating individuals.

I also recommend these two essays related to the environment: PG's City of Ambition and Alan Chan's Vision: A New City.

You Are Lucky if It’s the Worst Problem You Have

Don’t worry about being presumptuous. You don’t have to tell anyone. And if it’s too hard and you fail, so what? Lots of people have worse problems than that. In fact, you’ll be lucky if it’s the worst problem you have.

During my military service, I encountered individuals from diverse backgrounds. They wrestled with various hardships, and for many, the idea of achieving remarkable things felt unattainable. I, too, faced grief and hardship, which left me so depressed that I lost all ambition for greatness. However, if you ever find yourself pursuing something extraordinary, seize the opportunity and relish every second of the journey.

References

1. Plutino, A., Ae Biondo, and A. Rapisarda. “Talent vs Luck: the role of randomness in success and failure.” (2018).

Start Working and Own Your Projects

The way to figure out what to work on is by working, but don’t let “work” mean something other people tell you to do.

The idea that opportunities materialize like lightbulbs suddenly flickering on in our minds is misguided. True opportunities emerge from actual effort and engagement.

Consider startups as an example: Many successful products didn’t start out perfect; they iterated and learned from user feedback. YouTube, initially a dating site, and the early-stage Facebook code were far from flawless. Launching and actively working on projects are crucial for ambitious individuals and startups.

Owning your projects means embracing risk and responsibility. This mindset offers higher incentives and greater rewards. The satisfaction of building something tangible is unparalleled. While I’ve worked diligently, I aspire to allocate more time to hands-on creation in the future.

Get to the Frontier of a Field

Choose a field, learn enough to get to the frontier, notice gaps, explore promising ones.

Paul Graham emphasizes the concept of “noticing” in his essay, “How to Get Startup Ideas.” He asserts that the operative verb isn’t “think up” but “notice.”

At YC, we recognize ideas stemming from founders’ personal experiences as ‘organic’ startup concepts.

The term “organic” implies ideas that arise naturally. To cultivate such ideas, one must first put in hard work and immerse themselves in a rapidly evolving field. My takeaway is to focus on a few fields with significant innovation and actively seek out problems to “notice” potential startup ideas.

During my grad school visit, I encountered a world-class researcher who echoed similar sentiments. Her consistent stream of excellent ideas resulted from extensive research into gaps within innovative fields.

Target of Luck

You need to make yourself a big target for luck, and the way to do that is to be curious. Try lots of things, meet lots of people, read lots of books, ask lots of questions.

Research supports randomness over talent. Rather than relying solely on serendipity, we can actively create our own “luck” by seeking knowledge, networking, and remaining curious. This proactive stance increases our chances of encountering pivotal moments or “Green Lights.”

I’ve personally engaged in writing and conversations to amplify my exposure to these “Green Lights,” resulting in numerous opportunities.

However, even if these opportunities don’t materialize, preparation remains essential. I believe there’s much more I can accomplish before encountering those greenlight moments, and I value the feedback gained along the way.

Optimize for Interestingness

If you’re interested, you’re not astray. So optimize for interestingness.

Our lives are filled with distractions—friends landing lucrative job offers, neighbors flaunting cryptocurrency successes. Yet, if you’re truly passionate about your work and fully committed, these diversions won’t lead you astray.

Don’t Plan Too Much

Don’t plan too much. At each stage do whatever seems most interesting and gives you the best options for the future.

The advice “Don’t plan too much” doesn’t mean avoiding strategic thinking. Setting consistent goals and tackling challenges remains crucial. However, beware of overly specific targets or lackluster ambitions.

In other words, don’t limit the vast array of possible futures, but within that spectrum, be practical.

Unfashion

Unfashionable problems are undervalued.

In “How to Get Startup Ideas,” Paul Graham advises turning off two filters: the “unsexy filter” and the “schlep filter.” Recently, during Y Combinator lectures, they emphasized that seemingly mundane companies and fields often harbor fertile idea spaces. These overlooked problems still require solving.

Be Prolific, Notice Power Law

Start lots of small things. However, don’t divide your attention evenly between many topics though, or you’ll spread yourself too thin. You want to distribute it according to something more like a power law.

Power Law demonstration

I wish I’d encountered this quote earlier. For years, I confused busyness with true productivity, stretching myself thin across various pursuits. It took setbacks to clarify this.

Understanding the power law is crucial. While I once believed evenly distributing resources was low-risk, I now see its inefficiency.

Learn from failures!

Be a Risk Taker

Take as much risk as you can afford. In an efficient market, risk is proportionate to reward, so don’t look for certainty, but for a bet with high expected value. If you’re not failing occasionally, you’re probably being too conservative.

As mentioned earlier, I overlooked the power law’s implications during university. This affected my morale.

Another perspective: By exploring diverse fields, I stumbled upon unexpected opportunities. Now, I focus on one or two crucial, somewhat risky endeavors.

Environment

If a lot of the best people in your field are collected in one place, it’s usually a good idea to visit for a while. It will increase your ambition, and also, by showing you that these people are human, increase your self-confidence.

I am amazed by how the people around me have influenced my growth. During my exchange student experience in California, I discovered the transformative power of technology and optimism. Interning in software engineering at Heptabase, I realized that individuals with backgrounds similar to mine can achieve remarkable results through focus, independent thinking, and authenticity. My desire to pursue PhD programs in schools like Harvard stems from a passion for engaging in intellectually stimulating endeavors and surrounding myself with fascinating individuals.

I also recommend these two essays related to the environment: PG's City of Ambition and Alan Chan's Vision: A New City.

You Are Lucky if It’s the Worst Problem You Have

Don’t worry about being presumptuous. You don’t have to tell anyone. And if it’s too hard and you fail, so what? Lots of people have worse problems than that. In fact, you’ll be lucky if it’s the worst problem you have.

During my military service, I encountered individuals from diverse backgrounds. They wrestled with various hardships, and for many, the idea of achieving remarkable things felt unattainable. I, too, faced grief and hardship, which left me so depressed that I lost all ambition for greatness. However, if you ever find yourself pursuing something extraordinary, seize the opportunity and relish every second of the journey.

References

1. Plutino, A., Ae Biondo, and A. Rapisarda. “Talent vs Luck: the role of randomness in success and failure.” (2018).