In 1994, Jeff Bezos was a young vice president at D.E. Shaw & Co., a Wall Street investment firm. The firm had a reputation for innovation and challenging the status quo. So maybe it’s no surprise that several times a week, Bezos would meet with the founder, David Shaw, and brainstorm ideas for an emerging […]
The Leverage Ladder Read More »
Despite popular misconception…the hook is more than a marketing tool. At its best, it can be not only a propellant but also a statement of what you might expect from the text to come. -Noah Lukeman, The First Five Pages I have a confession. I’ve made a successful living as a freelance writer without being
How to Write Great Blog Intros Every Time (+5 Examples) Read More »
“Atomic Habits” by James Clear is an important book, offering a fresh take on building habits: leveraging small, digestible changes that become powerful results. Although I didn’t research the statistics, my estimate is that it’s been a New York Times Bestseller for roughly nineteen years and has sold roughly 7.5 trillion copies. As such, when
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Paul DePodesta wasn’t the typical baseball guy. A Harvard grad with a degree in economics, he was obsessed with baseball statistics, sure. But he never played the game seriously. Fortunately for the Oakland A’s, who hired him, he was good at those statistics. Really, really good. Once, he even plugged in every single statistic from
The Pareto Principle in Freelancing Read More »
In 1935, employees of the White Motor Company called a strike and new company president Robert Black faced a critical crossroads. On one hand, he could do what most of us would do. He could dig his feet in. He could argue. He could escalate the situation and try to crush the striking union. He
Humility is the Ultimate Lifehack Read More »
READ BEFORE USE: If you’re reading this, you are suffering from an emergency bout of procrastination. You are currently suffering from low dopamine, or low dopamine sensitivity, regarding your chosen task. Do not panic. This is treatable. Work your way from Step 1 to Step 5 below. NOTE: If you are not currently suffering procrastination,
EMERGENCY: Break in Case of Procrastination Read More »
If anyone were to ask me (and almost no one ever does, but this is my blog so shut up), this is the most valuable and unique piece of advice I possess: You can practice literally anything in the privacy of your own home, for free and without consequence. Just as important, you will improve
Invisible Practice: How to Improve Without Consequences Read More »
Random Things I Did In My Freelancing Career That Helped Me “Make It” Date: 2009. Location: My parents’ basement. Tool: A piece of posterboard tacked to the wall. Goal: $2,000 a month. It felt like an ambitious goal at the time. I had been laid off from my previous job. And while once again on
Random Things I Did In My Freelancing Career That Helped Me “Make It” Read More »
How to Study Less and Remember More If someone asks you how to become more disciplined at work, or study hard for a test, what we usually tell them? Buckle down. Put your nose to the grindstone. Spend an hour a day studying, and you’ll get there. It’s the advice we give to anyone who
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