Thread by @louispereira23

𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 control your life more than you think they do.

They are also the reason the rich get richer and the poor stay poor.

Here’s how they work and what you can do to impact them.

A THREAD inspired by an article by @JamesCurrier of @NFX.

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𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀.

Some exchanges are intentional - like discussing ideas or investing in someone.

Some exchanges are accidental - like overhearing a conversation about a promising new company.

Exchanges are more frequent when

- They are 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 - like interactions between classmates who see each other every day.

- When potential 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 - like me creating this thread hoping for a few retweets and some new followers.

Why do the rich get richer while the poor remain poor?

Because it’s usually 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿 and 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 for people to exchange stuff with rich folks in their network.

Over time, these repeated exchanges compound, and the rich get richer.

For example:

In this thread, I tagged @JamesCurrier instead of just mentioning his name.

Twitter makes it easy & James could make it rewarding with a retweet to his large follower base.

As his followers grow, his retweets become more powerful & more folks will tag him.

Each of us has 𝟲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 we get to be a part of:

1. Family
2. High School
3. College
4. Workplace
5. Spouse
6. Location

Besides #1, the rest are choices that we make.

Some reversible, some irreversible.

Each of these networks exerts an 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 that makes us gravitate toward certain choices by making them easier.

For example, it would be easier for you to reach out to alumni of your college for a job, as compared to cold emailing a random person.

This unseen force gets more powerful at the intersection of multiple networks.

So, if you were applying to jobs by contacting your college alumni, you’d probably start by contacting those who could offer jobs in an area you were living in.

You build more networks as you go through life, and at the intersection of these networks lie choices that you are most likely to gravitate towards.

In other words, the bulk of your decisions will be made from this set of choices.

There are a few times in life when you get to choose a major network that you become a part of.

Whether it’s the college you attend, the job offer you accept, or the place you live, take those choices very seriously.

Choose the network that has the highest probability of leading you to success, whatever your definition of success is.

Don’t fuss over short-term benefits and costs like salary or minor differences in rent.

Instead, focus on accumulating the right networks.

Today, internet-based networks are democratizing opportunities.

If you’re constrained by your location, consider joining an online network that you’re interested in.

@beondeck, @LambdaSchool, @visualizevalue, @CompoundWriting & @farnamstreet are great places to start.

When you realize the power of networks, the chaos of the world will diminish, & the world will make more sense.

It'll become obvious that the most effective way to change your life is not to make new year’s resolutions, but to change the networks of people that surround you.

If you enjoyed this thread, I’d be grateful if you retweeted the first tweet (attached) so it reaches more people.

https://twitter.com/louispereira23/status/1330613338406084614?s=20

Alternatively, you might like to:

1. Follow me: I will be tweeting a thread like this each week.

2. Subscribe to my newsletter. I explain complex topics in exactly 500 words every Wednesday. It's free, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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