Storytelling is a superpower.

A key to unlocking growth in your writing, startups, marketing, business, or career.

THREAD: 10+ principles of effective storytelling (that you can start using today):

Clarity of Purpose

The best storytellers always define a clear purpose prior to crafting their story.

What is the story trying to achieve? What does success look like with this story?

Commit to answering these key questions before doing anything else.

Define the Audience

Every great story begins with a well-defined audience.

Who is the audience? What do they consciously (or subconsciously) want from the story?

Be deliberate with this exercise.

Be honest with yourself. The audience may look different than you expect.

Establish Structure

“People have forgotten how to tell a story. Stories don’t have a middle or an end any more. They usually have a beginning that never stops beginning.” – Steven Spielberg

Stories need structure.

Clear narrative arcs (like Pixar’s “hero’s journey”) work well.

The Story Spine

Playwright Kenn Adams created a neat framework - “the story spine” - for establishing structure:

Once upon a time there was [blank]. Every day, [blank]. One day [blank]. Because of that, [blank]. Until finally [bank].

Fill it in and watch your story take shape.

The Feynman Technique (how to learn anything):

The Feynman Technique is a unique learning method that prioritizes simplicity to create depth of understanding.

It is named after Richard Feynman—an American theoretical physicist who won the Nobel Prize in 1965 for his groundbreaking work in quantum electrodynamics.

Richard Feynman was certainly intelligent.

But there are a lot of intelligent people in the world.

Feynman's true genius was noted as his ability to convey complex ideas in simple, elegant ways.

He observed that complexity and jargon are often used to mask a lack of deep understanding.

Hence “The Feynman Razor” that I’ve written about:

If someone uses a lot of complexity and jargon to explain something to you, they probably don’t understand it.

The Feynman Technique is a learning framework that requires you to develop a deep understanding of a given topic.

It involves four key steps:
(1) Set the Stage
(2) ELI5 (Explain It To Me Like I'm 5)
(3) Assess & Study
(4) Organize, Convey & Review

Let's cover each step:

By now, you’ve probably heard that global supply chains are in a state of disarray.

Here's a simple breakdown of what’s causing it:

1/ There's a lot of talk right now about the global supply chain crisis.

@Business published an article subtitled "Inside the Brutal Realities of Supply Chain Hell”—it's getting serious.

This thread provides my (very) simple framework for understanding the key drivers:

2/ First off, what are the visible impacts of the crisis?

Product delays (good luck getting appliances before 2022), product shortages (see semiconductors), port buildups (fly over LA and you'll see), and rampant freight costs (sorry, retailer margins).

It's pretty bad.

3/ Global supply chains are very complex. We live in a highly-interconnected world.

A butterfly flaps its wings in Shenzhen and impacts when I receive my bike in New York. Ok, maybe not quite, but almost...

So to understand the drivers of the crisis, we need a simple framework.

4/ Let's break down what is happening using an Econ 101 classic: Supply and Demand.

Supply here refers to everything related to manufacturing, production, and transportation.

Demand here refers to everything related to consumption.

I'll walk through each side:

Robert Smalls was born into slavery but would go on to become a hero of the Civil War, a successful entrepreneur, and a U.S. congressman.

His journey is one you have to read to believe.

Who's up for a story?

👇👇👇

1/ Robert Smalls was born on April 5, 1839 in Beaufort, South Carolina.

His mother, Lydia Polite, was a house worker enslaved by a man named Henry McKee.

It is widely believed that McKee was Robert's father, which afforded him preferential treatment in his early years.

2/ While she had worked in the McKee household as an adult, Robert's mother had grown up working in the fields.

Not wanting her son to be blind to the plight of the other slaves, Lydia Polite requested that he be exposed to this work.

This experience was formative for Robert.

3/ In 1951, when the McKee family moved to Charleston, Robert and his mother went with them.

The 12-year-old Robert was hired as a laborer in the city, earning a tiny wage for working various jobs.

But it was in Charleston that Robert would discover his first love: the water.

4/ Finding himself attracted to the ocean and life on the water, Robert Smalls took on work at the docks.

He quickly displayed an aptitude for the work.

Starting as a stevedore, he soon became a wheelman on a ship, in charge of navigating through Charleston's complex harbor.

10 common errors in reasoning that undermine arguments:

Ad Hominem

Latin phrase for "to the person”—an attack of the individual rather than the argument.

Instead of addressing the argument and its merits, the offender attempts to refute the opposition on the basis of personal characteristics.

All-too-common in political debates.

The Sharpshooter

A man fires a gun at a barn wall and then paints a target around the tightest cluster of bullet holes to create the appearance of accuracy.

The offender selects and highlights evidence that supports the conclusion—while ignoring evidence that may refute it.

The Sunk Cost Fallacy

Sunk costs are economic costs already invested in an activity that cannot be recovered.

The fallacy is found in thinking that you should continue on the basis of all that you've put in—with no regard for future costs or likelihood of ultimate success.

The Red Herring

The kippered herring was a smelly fish used to distract hunting dogs while training them to focus on a scent.

"Red herring" is now synonymous with distraction.

The offender distracts from the argument with a seemingly related—but actually unrelated—point.

5 simple principles to accelerate your career:

Principle: Follow Your Curiosity

Humans are born with astonishing curiosity.

But somewhere along the way, we're told to stop asking questions.

Push back.

Learn to follow your curiosity—trust it.

For the curious mind, anything is possible.

Fortune favors the curious.

Principle: Operate in Your Zone of Genius

Your Zone of Genius is where your interests, passions and skills align.

Operating in your Zone of Genius means playing games you are uniquely well-suited to win.

It means you can stop playing *their* games and start playing *yours*.

Principle: Adopt a Positive Sum Mentality

Want to get ahead in life?

Start genuinely rooting for others to succeed.

When one of us wins, we all win—winning spreads.

If you adopt that mentality, you’ll become a magnet for the highest quality people.

Principle: Speak Up

Closed mouths don’t get fed.

A little push goes a long way.

Don't sit back and wait for good things to happen.

If you want something—and you’ve put in the work for it—ask for it.

Worst case: you’re told no and nothing has changed.

Best case: it’s yours.

The Cantillon Effect is the most important economic concept you’ve never heard of.

Here's a breakdown of what it is (and why you should care):

1/ Richard Cantillon was an Irish-French economist and philosopher born in the 1680s.

He achieved success as a banker—which he attributed to the formidable connections made through his family and employer.

At a young age, he had learned of the impact of proximity to power...

2/ Around 1730, Cantillon wrote a paper—Essay on the Nature of Commerce in General—which is considered a foundational work in the study of the political economy.

It was widely circulated in manuscript form, though it was not published until 1755, well after his death.

3/ In the paper, Cantillon posited that the early recipients of new money entering an economy will benefit more significantly than those it trickles down to.

In other words, the "flow path" of the new money matters!

4/ In 18th century terms, those closest to the King—the source of money/power—benefitted first when new money entered the economy.

Broadly, Cantillon observed that new money creates distributional effects based on where it enters the system.

The Cantillon Effect was born...

These paradoxes will change your life:

The Brakes Paradox

What allows a Formula 1 driver to fly around the track?

It's not the engine, the tires, or the suspension.

It's the brakes.

Strong, reliable brakes unlock the driver.

Build brakes into your life that allow you to accelerate and hit turns without fear.

The Advice Paradox

Taking more advice leaves you less well-equipped.

Most advice sucks.

It's well-intentioned, but it's dangerous to use someone else's map of reality to navigate yours.

Winners learn to filter and selectively implement advice—take the signal, skip the noise.

The Opportunity Paradox

Take on less, accomplish more.

Success doesn’t come from taking on every opportunity.

It comes from deploying energy on the opportunities that matter—the 10x opportunities.

Time and energy are finite.

Say yes to what matters & no to everything else.

The Persuasion Paradox

Have you noticed that argumentative people rarely persuade anyone of anything?

Persuasive people don’t argue—they observe, listen, and ask questions.

Argue less, persuade more.

Persuasion is an art that requires a paintbrush, not a sledgehammer.

Powerful concepts everyone should know (to understand the world):

The Paradox of Advice

Taking more advice leaves you less well-equipped.

Most advice sucks.

It's well-intentioned, but it's dangerous to use someone else's map of reality to navigate yours.

Winners learn to filter and selectively implement—take the signal, skip the noise.

The Feynman Technique

To learn anything:

Step 1: Identify a topic
Step 2: Try to explain it to a 5-year-old
Step 3: Study to fill in knowledge gaps
Step 4: Organize, convey, and review

True genius is the ability to simplify, not complicate.

Simple is beautiful.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Humans tend to:

(1) Attribute someone else's actions to their character—and not to their situation or context.

(2) Attribute our actions to our situation and context—and not to our character.

We cut ourselves a break, but hold others accountable.

Time Billionaire

Time is our most precious asset.

When you're young, you are a "time billionaire”—rich with time.

Too many people fail to realize the value of this asset until it is gone.

Treat time as your ultimate currency—it’s all you have and you can never get it back.

20 ideas I can’t stop thinking about:

The Feynman Technique

To learn anything:

Step 1: Identify a topic
Step 2: Try to explain it to a 5-year-old
Step 3: Study to fill in knowledge gaps
Step 4: Organize, convey, and review

True genius is the ability to simplify, not complicate.

Simple is beautiful.

Intellectual Sparring Partners

Most of us need fewer friends and more intellectual sparring partners.

Friends are easy to come by.

Intellectual sparring partners are harder to find.

They will call you on your BS, question your assumptions, and push you to think deeply.

Boredom Alpha

Experiencing regular periods of boredom is a competitive advantage.

Your most creative moments come during bouts of boredom.

In the shower, on a walk, at a dinner by yourself.

You’re bored, your mind wanders, and creative insight strikes.

Boredom creates alpha.

Paths Open vs. Closed

Black Lines = paths closed
Green Lines = paths open

We spend too much time focusing on what might have been (black) and not enough time focusing on what may be (green).

Never underestimate the density of opportunity that lies ahead.

(h/t @waitbutwhy)

10 fascinating traits of highly-successful people:

1) Enjoy Being Wrong: The most successful people legitimately enjoy being wrong. They’ve learned to embrace new information that forces you to change your viewpoint—these "software updates" improve upon the old.

(read on)

2) Work in Sprints: Parkinson's Law says that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. Winners typically work like lions instead—sprint, rest, repeat.

3) Antifragile: Life is chaotic. The best aren't broken by the chaos—they build structure to benefit from it.

4) Paranoia: Highly-successful people share a surprising fear that all of the success is suddenly going to disappear. It creates a drive for continued growth.

5) Self-Awareness: The most successful people are hyper self-aware. They know their unique edge (and their weaknesses).

6) Compartmentalization: An uncanny ability to compartmentalize. They turn off outside stressors and focus exclusively on the task at hand.

7) Focus on Questions, Not Answers: They ask great questions. It allows them to aggregate insights more effectively.

8) Expert Advice Filters: Winners have learned how to filter and selectively implement advice—take the signal, skip the noise.

9) Impatient Long-Term Thinkers: Long-term thinking plus short-term impatience for action is the recipe for success.

A paradox is a seemingly self-contradictory statement that proves true.

The most powerful paradoxes I’ve found:

The Paradox of Failure

You have to fail more to succeed more.

Our greatest moments of growth often stem directly from our greatest moments of failure.

Don’t fear failure.

Learn to fail smart and fast—never fail the same way twice.

Always put yourself in the arena.

The Paradox of Persuasion

Ever notice that the most argumentative people rarely persuade anyone of anything?

Persuasive people don’t argue—they observe, listen, and ask questions.

Argue less, persuade more.

Persuasion is an art that requires a paintbrush, not a sledgehammer.

The Paradox of Productivity

Work longer, get less done.

Parkinson's Law says that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.

When you establish fixed hours to work, you'll find unproductive ways to fill it.

Work like a lion instead—sprint, rest, repeat.

The Paradox of Effort

You have to put in more effort to make something appear effortless.

Effortless, elegant performances are simply the result of a large volume of consistent, effortful practice.

Small things become big things.

Simple is not simple.

First principles thinking is a powerful framework for deconstructing complex problems and driving non-linear outcomes.

Here's a breakdown of what it is and how it works:

Aristotle defined a first principle as "the first basis from which a thing is known."

A first principle is a basic, foundational assumption—one that cannot be deduced or broken down any further.

First principles are foundational truths.

"First principles thinking”—or "reasoning from first principles”—is a problem-solving and innovation framework that requires you to break down a complex problem into its most foundational elements.

The aim: to ground yourself in the foundational truths and build up from there.

When we encounter challenging problems, our tendency is to rely on base level assumptions we have been told are true—or we believe to be true.

It's quick and easy to do.

But it also leads to unimaginative, linear solutions that closely resemble what has been done before.

This is called "reasoning by analogy”—it leads to solutions that are much like something else.

To be sure, it can be very useful when speed is the priority.

But it falls short when dealing with complex problems requiring creative, imaginative solutions.

Today is my 32nd birthday.

Over the last month, I asked several 90-year-olds what advice they would give to their 32-year-old selves.

Here's the life advice everyone needs to hear:

1. Now and then, break out the fancy china and drink the good wine for no reason at all.

2. Dance at weddings until your feet are sore.

3. Tell your partner you love them every night before falling asleep. Someday you’ll find the other side of the bed empty and wish you could.

4. Don’t fear sadness, as it tends to sit right next to love.

5. Treat your body like a house you have to live in for another 70 years.

6. Never raise your voice, except for at a ballgame.

7. Do one good deed every single day, but never tell anyone about it.

8. Time doesn't heal anything when it comes to relationships. Don't delay difficult conversations.

9. Find the things that make your eyes light up. Do more of those.

10. Always remind yourself that your track record for making it through your bad days is perfect.

11. If something has a minor issue, repair it. Minor issues become major issues over time. Applies equally to love, friendships, health, and home.

12. The most damning lie you can tell is the lie you tell to yourself.

13. No one has ever argued their way to happiness.

22 ideas from 2022.

The top 1% of ideas I encountered:

The Feynman Technique

Four steps to learn anything:

(1) Identify a topic
(2) Try to explain it to a child
(3) Study to fill in gaps
(4) Organize, convey, and review

True genius is the ability to simplify, not complicate.

Simple is beautiful.

Visualizing Time

1. Family time is limited—cherish it.

2. Friend time is limited—prioritize real ones.

3. Partner time is significant—never settle.

4. Children time is precious—be present.

5. Coworker time is significant—find energy.

6. Alone time is highest—love yourself.

Darkest Hour Friends

Most of your friends aren’t really your friends. They‘re just along for the ride when it’s fun or valuable.

The real ones are there for you when it’s neither—there for you in your darkest hour.

Treasure your Darkest Hour Friends.

Be one to someone else.

The Two-Day Rule

How to make new habits stick:

With whatever habit you're trying to build, never allow yourself to skip more than one day in a row.

Creates forward progress—but allows for the vagaries of life to enter without derailing momentum.

The Icarus Paradox offers a critical lesson on business, investing, and life.

Here’s a simple breakdown:

The story of Icarus is a famous tale from Greek mythology.

Icarus is the son of a craftsman—Daedalus.

To help the pair escape from Crete, Daedalus uses feathers and wax to create two sets of wings.

Prior to the attempt, Daedalus warns his son to avoid complacency and hubris.

Daedalus instructs Icarus to avoid flying too low or too high—cautioning that the sea's moisture or the sun's heat could cause the wings to malfunction.

But Icarus becomes amazed by his flight and soars away.

The sun melts the wax on his wings and Icarus falls to his death.

The tale of Icarus offers a poignant lesson:

Avoid complacency and hubris at all times.

What makes you successful initially may eventually lead to your downfall.

This is often referred to as "The Icarus Paradox”—it shows up constantly in business, investing, and life:

In business, how many incumbents have we seen achieve success with one product, only to be disrupted when the market shifts under their feet?

Overconfidence and success blinds incumbents to the coming wave of disruption.

60+ companies from the 1966 Fortune 100 no longer exist!

If you’re building your career…

Prioritize these core principles:

Build a Personal Board of Advisors

The concept of “mentorship” has become too formal.

Asking someone to be your mentor feels like a big commitment.

Instead, build a Personal Board of Advisors.

A diverse group of 5-10 people you can go to for questions, advice, or feedback.

Swallow the Frog for Your Boss

One of the single greatest hacks to getting ahead early in your career:

(1) Observe your boss
(2) Figure out what they hate doing
(3) Learn to do it
(4) Take it off their plate

It's a clear way to add value, put up a win, and build momentum.

Create a Decentralized Growth Tribe

Having a decentralized friend group to grow with is a real competitive advantage.

• Unconnected to other groups
• Different backgrounds
• Range of experience sets
• Novel perspectives

Call it your Growth Tribe. It’s a huge value unlock.

Learn to Sell

To be successful, you either need to learn how to build or you need to learn how to sell.

Most of us aren't technically-gifted—so just learn to sell.

The more you progress in any field, the more of your job becomes sales.

If you can sell, you'll always make it.

The interview process is never fun.

But it’s a real opportunity to stand out.

Master these 10 common questions to nail your next interview:

Question: “Tell me about yourself.”

This isn’t an invitation to recite your resume.

It's a test of whether you can provide a concise, thoughtful overview of your past, present, and future.

Keep it short.

Focus on key decisions and insights that may not pop off the page.

Question: “Why this company?”

Standard test for for shotgun blast applicants.

A generic answer can derail your process.

Do your research. Write down 2-3 unique points about the company that appeal to you.

You won’t get the job with your answer, but you can definitely lose it.

Question: "What would you do in the first 100 days on the job?"

This is a test of your preparation, research, initiative, and humility.

Have a concrete plan for how you would approach your early days.

Be sure fact-finding and learning is a key part of it (the humility aspect).

Question: “What are your strengths?”

Resist the urge to reel off a long list of broad strengths.

Tailor your response to the role and company.

Provide 1-2 key strengths that make you well-suited for this specific job.

Leverage storytelling—bring them to life with anecdotes!