Principled

This article illuminates how chess masters differ from lower-rated players. It talks about what to do when all else fails and the discipline to play well, even when you're feeling uninspired:

"success doesn’t come from playing like a genius...focus less on how high your ceiling can go and more on raising your floor. Become tougher to beat on your worst days."

My cofounder Austin was slower than me to come to certain conclusions. But I also thrashed about more, thinking and acting impulsively at times. Because he was more consistently oriented to what matters (e.g. profitability), he was able to navigate and lead our company more effectively over the long run.

I recall asking a husband what he's learnt about his wife. "There's a reason behind every little thing she does. I've come to appreciate that more over time." He had to sacrifice his problem-solving disposition in order to listen and learn from her, every day.

Chamath has pointed out Elon's moral leadership—doing "what he believes humanity benefits from the most"—as outlier CEO behavior. This mindset also helps bring down battery costs from $600 per kWh closer to $80.

"Thinking from first principles" is very often lauded, but few people truly live in principled ways, exploring the tensions and tradeoffs fully. Mathematically.

It's an exciting journey. And impossible to avoid life's myriad mate-in-one blunders... especially when people around us urge one more drink at the party. I certainly have a long way to go.

Ideas are shortcuts that help us distill reality, and principles are heuristics to help us achieve success.

Which ones are you living by?