A THREAD of interesting thoughts and ideas shared by Paras Chopra (@paraschopra - Founder of Wingify) to ponder over:
1/
Idea: an app where the very best Twitter threads are curated under various categories. It’s amazing to think that this doesn’t exist.
1/
Idea: an app where the very best Twitter threads are curated under various categories. It’s amazing to think that this doesn’t exist.
2/
Startup idea: a helpline for people in their 20s to give them basic financial literacy.
Just avoiding basic mistakes in 20s (like keeping everything in savings or buying a house or settling at a low salary) can make people substantially richer in life.
Startup idea: a helpline for people in their 20s to give them basic financial literacy.
Just avoiding basic mistakes in 20s (like keeping everything in savings or buying a house or settling at a low salary) can make people substantially richer in life.
3/
One of the greatest (but also the hardest) skills in life is being able to separate emotions from thought.
One of the greatest (but also the hardest) skills in life is being able to separate emotions from thought.
4/
A founder can never hire the product head.
A founder can never hire the product head.
5/
Either all-remote works or all-in-office works.
Anything in between is highly likely to fail.
Either all-remote works or all-in-office works.
Anything in between is highly likely to fail.
6/
Want peace in life?
Know your sphere of influence and only worry about things happening within it.
Block everything else.
Want peace in life?
Know your sphere of influence and only worry about things happening within it.
Block everything else.
7/
It’s amazing how the mere act of documenting thoughts changes them.
It’s amazing how the mere act of documenting thoughts changes them.
8/
Real estate is a terrible investment:
- Rental yields often < fixed deposits
- Rental income taxed at full tax rate
- Highly illiquid
- Requires regular maintenance investment even if unused
Real estate is a terrible investment:
- Rental yields often < fixed deposits
- Rental income taxed at full tax rate
- Highly illiquid
- Requires regular maintenance investment even if unused
9/
To understand a topic really well, write a detailed blog post on it.
To understand a topic really well, write a detailed blog post on it.
10/
The way you communicate reveals the way you think.
The way you communicate reveals the way you think.
11/
The hardest thing in the world is not a diamond.
It's staying in the present and not thinking about the future.
The hardest thing in the world is not a diamond.
It's staying in the present and not thinking about the future.
12/
The most important thing parents can teach their kids is to question whatever they teach them.
The most important thing parents can teach their kids is to question whatever they teach them.
13/
You've learned to invest when you become happy when stock market goes down.
You've learned to invest when you become happy when stock market goes down.
14/
Good product management is first & foremost attention to detail on the daily experience of new & experienced users.
I don't want to use the word user empathy as everyone things they have it, but it's rare like a unicorn as most PMs remain trapped in their cognitive biases.
Good product management is first & foremost attention to detail on the daily experience of new & experienced users.
I don't want to use the word user empathy as everyone things they have it, but it's rare like a unicorn as most PMs remain trapped in their cognitive biases.
15/
If you’re graduating this year and aren’t able to find a job, build and sell a product / side project
You’ll gain real world experience of how the world works + you create optionality for yourself:
succeeds ==> financial independence
fails ==> edge over other candidates.
If you’re graduating this year and aren’t able to find a job, build and sell a product / side project
You’ll gain real world experience of how the world works + you create optionality for yourself:
succeeds ==> financial independence
fails ==> edge over other candidates.
16/
The key avoiding *both* anxiety and boredom is to always keep treading just a tiny bit outside of your current comfort zone.
The key avoiding *both* anxiety and boredom is to always keep treading just a tiny bit outside of your current comfort zone.
17/
There’s good cleverness, where cleverness comes with humility. Such cleverness is self-reinforcing and spreads joy.
Then there’s bad cleverness, where cleverness exists solely to satisfy the ego. Such cleverness is self-limiting and spreads spite.
There’s good cleverness, where cleverness comes with humility. Such cleverness is self-reinforcing and spreads joy.
Then there’s bad cleverness, where cleverness exists solely to satisfy the ego. Such cleverness is self-limiting and spreads spite.
18/
Whenever someone offers you a financial product, always make sure to ask how much of their personal money is invested in it.
Whenever someone offers you a financial product, always make sure to ask how much of their personal money is invested in it.
19/
Cleverness is a first order skill.
Insight is second order (cleverness applied to cleverness).
Wisdom is last (insight applied to insights).
Cleverness is a first order skill.
Insight is second order (cleverness applied to cleverness).
Wisdom is last (insight applied to insights).
20/
To sum up my rules for writing well: The world is full of words.
Nobody has the time to read what you’ve written unless what you’re saying is different, insightful AND easy to read.
To sum up my rules for writing well: The world is full of words.
Nobody has the time to read what you’ve written unless what you’re saying is different, insightful AND easy to read.
21/
Surprise is nothing but a call to update your model of the world.
Surprise is nothing but a call to update your model of the world.
22/
It's amazing how the word "gyaan" has come to acquire negative connotations.
It's like someone is offended that you're telling them something new.
It's amazing how the word "gyaan" has come to acquire negative connotations.
It's like someone is offended that you're telling them something new.
23/
The paradox of trying to optimize life is that it results in life disappearing into a checklist.
The paradox of trying to optimize life is that it results in life disappearing into a checklist.
24/
The aim of reading is not flipping pages.
Good books and articles should be read slowly, and great ones be re-read immediately after they’re finished.
Our brains need time to internalize ideas.
The aim of reading is not flipping pages.
Good books and articles should be read slowly, and great ones be re-read immediately after they’re finished.
Our brains need time to internalize ideas.
25/
2020 is the year which is showing us that we’ve probably taken our life projects probably far too seriously.
There’s no medal at the end. There’s a ditch.
Discover yourself. Spend time with loved ones. Have fun while you can.
2020 is the year which is showing us that we’ve probably taken our life projects probably far too seriously.
There’s no medal at the end. There’s a ditch.
Discover yourself. Spend time with loved ones. Have fun while you can.
26/
To know who to trust, look for someone with the rare combination of competence and humility.
To know who to trust, look for someone with the rare combination of competence and humility.
27/
Wisdom is the ability to select which things to be confused about.
Wisdom is the ability to select which things to be confused about.
28/
If you don’t enjoy spending money, making more money won’t make you happier.
If you don’t enjoy spending money, making more money won’t make you happier.
29/
Fear has strong network effects.
Fear has strong network effects.
30/
Strategy is actually a combination of what you decide to do and what you decide to not to do.
In fact, deciding what not to do is perhaps more important than deciding what to do because it creates clear boundaries around your business model.
Strategy is actually a combination of what you decide to do and what you decide to not to do.
In fact, deciding what not to do is perhaps more important than deciding what to do because it creates clear boundaries around your business model.
31/
Evolution tells us that the point of life isn’t just to survive. It’s to thrive.
Evolution tells us that the point of life isn’t just to survive. It’s to thrive.
32/
Fast moving companies have more but shorter meetings.
Good meetings are efficient as they reduce chances of misinterpretation.
Fast moving companies have more but shorter meetings.
Good meetings are efficient as they reduce chances of misinterpretation.
33/
Best hiring questions don’t have a right or a wrong answer.
Here’s one such question that I really like asking -
“If you didn’t have to work for money, what would you be doing full time?”
Best hiring questions don’t have a right or a wrong answer.
Here’s one such question that I really like asking -
“If you didn’t have to work for money, what would you be doing full time?”
34/
Good design is paradoxical.
It’s extremely standard (because human drives are more or less common) but extremely personalised (because environment and context dictates how these drives will get resolved).
Good design is paradoxical.
It’s extremely standard (because human drives are more or less common) but extremely personalised (because environment and context dictates how these drives will get resolved).
