1/ The first chapter is on why nerds are unpopular.
The key insight: groups with a clearly well-defined adversary (sports teams, companies) form hierarchy based on ability, while groups without an external adversary (teenagers in school) form hierarchy based on who can rise more
The key insight: groups with a clearly well-defined adversary (sports teams, companies) form hierarchy based on ability, while groups without an external adversary (teenagers in school) form hierarchy based on who can rise more
2/ Because teenagers yet don’t have economic value, they’re kept in schools so that adults can go about their day.
In such an empty place, being popular is a full time job and has less to do with what you can do but rather your ability to do things that “popular” kids do.
In such an empty place, being popular is a full time job and has less to do with what you can do but rather your ability to do things that “popular” kids do.
3/ Nerds are more concerned about doing things and since being popular is a full time job in purposeless groups, they naturally end up becoming unpopular.
While cool kids are spending hours curating Instagram profiles, nerds are obsessing about random projects.
While cool kids are spending hours curating Instagram profiles, nerds are obsessing about random projects.
4/ The next chapter is about how hackers and painters are similar to each other in the sense of both being makers.
@paulg describes the hacker ethic beautifully and how calling it “computer science” discourages and confuses would-be hackers.
@paulg describes the hacker ethic beautifully and how calling it “computer science” discourages and confuses would-be hackers.
5/ Science is about discovering something new while hacking and painting is about creating something new.
In that sense, hacking computer programs is like tinkering. You make something and iterate on it.
Unlike science, there’s no “correct” way of painting and making things.
In that sense, hacking computer programs is like tinkering. You make something and iterate on it.
Unlike science, there’s no “correct” way of painting and making things.
6/ But.. painters don’t paid much because what they’re doing is fun.
Similarly, hacking cool software is not going to make you money.
People pay you money when you solve problems for them, which usually requires a ton of grunt work.
Similarly, hacking cool software is not going to make you money.
People pay you money when you solve problems for them, which usually requires a ton of grunt work.
7/ But that’s not to say you shouldn’t hack.
Like musicians, painters, writers, keep a day job to pay bills and hack your heart out during evenings and weekends.
Incidentally: reason for the rise of open source was precisely this.
Like musicians, painters, writers, keep a day job to pay bills and hack your heart out during evenings and weekends.
Incidentally: reason for the rise of open source was precisely this.
8/ The crux of the chapter is that hackers shouldn’t feel guilty of not doing things “properly” or knowing theory.
They should learn from painters who often don’t have complete picture upfront, regularly change direction mid way, and don’t care much about how paints are made.
They should learn from painters who often don’t have complete picture upfront, regularly change direction mid way, and don’t care much about how paints are made.
9/ The third chapter is on what we ideas we can’t say out loud.
The key idea is to notice what labels people use to suppress ideas. If they use anything other than “untrue”, you know what you’re not allowed to say.
E.g. “sexist”, “politically incorrect”, “anti-national”
The key idea is to notice what labels people use to suppress ideas. If they use anything other than “untrue”, you know what you’re not allowed to say.
E.g. “sexist”, “politically incorrect”, “anti-national”
10/ Why is it important to unearth ideas you can’t say aloud?
Because otherwise you’d never recognise that some of them might be true and that the only reason they’re not allowed because some group might feel threatened.
Because otherwise you’d never recognise that some of them might be true and that the only reason they’re not allowed because some group might feel threatened.
11/ E.g. Galileo’s ideas were considered “heretical”, and not untrue.
Similarly, what ideas today are considered X-ist? Play with those ideas in your head and judge their truthfulness in private comfort of your thoughts.
Similarly, what ideas today are considered X-ist? Play with those ideas in your head and judge their truthfulness in private comfort of your thoughts.
12/ While it may not be worth it to pick a fight with a powerful group on a true idea that you’re not supposed to say aloud, at least such recognition gives you mental clarity which otherwise you won’t have.
13/ Thought suppression by different groups happens all the time.
It will benefit you to actively try finding what you’re not allowed to say and why you’re not allowed to say that? (Most likely it’s because of fear of idea’s consequences and not because the idea is false)
It will benefit you to actively try finding what you’re not allowed to say and why you’re not allowed to say that? (Most likely it’s because of fear of idea’s consequences and not because the idea is false)
14/ The next chapter is my all time favorite: how to make wealth.
In it, Paul talks about difference between wealth (stuff we want) and money (compressed storage of the stuff we want).
The way to make wealth is to build things that others care about.
In it, Paul talks about difference between wealth (stuff we want) and money (compressed storage of the stuff we want).
The way to make wealth is to build things that others care about.
15/ There are two requirements for increasing your chances of becoming wealthy: measurement and leverage.
Measurement = being able to attribute outcomes to your effort.
Leverage = potential for having an impact even while you’re sleeping
Measurement = being able to attribute outcomes to your effort.
Leverage = potential for having an impact even while you’re sleeping
16/ Leverage typically is had with technology. It’s what you call “create once, sell infinite times”.
Artisans who work on one piece at a time don’t have any leverage while inventor of a machine that makes the same thing has a lot of leverage.
Artisans who work on one piece at a time don’t have any leverage while inventor of a machine that makes the same thing has a lot of leverage.
17/ Measurement is important to get wealthy because if your output is averaged with all others (like it typically happens in a big company), you don’t have incentive to work 10 times hard in order to have a chance to get paid 10 times more.
18/ Only when you’re working by yourself or in a small team of a startup, you have a shot at working harder and at difficult problems because you know you’ll get paid more
This is why big companies are slow in innovation. There are not sufficient incentives for anyone to do that
This is why big companies are slow in innovation. There are not sufficient incentives for anyone to do that
19/ Without a hope of having a real chance to make a lot of money, people will naturally work on either easy problems or interesting problems.
But a lot of money is usually made by doing work that nobody else is willing to do (because it’s hard or unsexy).
But a lot of money is usually made by doing work that nobody else is willing to do (because it’s hard or unsexy).
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