To outperform, you need serious competitive advantages.

But contrary to what you have been told, most of them don't require talent.

10 competitive advantages that you can start developing today:
Intellectual Curiosity

Intellectual curiosity is a real-world superpower. We all have it, but most will never embrace it.

For the curious mind, anything is possible.

Fortune favors the curious mind.
Comfort with Discomfort

We are conditioned to avoid discomfort, so most of us do.

The problem?

Discomfort leads to growth. It is an absolute necessity.

If you train yourself to accept and embrace discomfort, you will always have an edge.
Simplify Where Others Complicate

"The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple."

Complexity and jargon are often used to mask a lack of deep understanding.

Learn to convey extremely complex ideas in simple, digestible ways.

Find beauty in simplicity.
High Tolerance for Failure

We fear failure, so most of us play it safe to avoid it.

But our greatest moments of growth often stem directly from our greatest failures.

Do not accept failure, but do not fear it either.

You will fail. Embrace it. Learn to fail smart and fast.
Low Time Preference

Life is a long game.

Those with low time preference play it more effectively - they happily delay gratification to build real value.

In a world of people seeking instant gratification, this is a meaningful edge.
Antifragility

In Greek mythology, the Hydra is a creature that has multiple heads. Every time one head is cut off, two grow back in its place.

Life is random and chaotic.

Do not be broken by this chaos and disorder; rather, adopt a mentality that you will benefit from it.
Presence

With the rise of technology - and the instant access to millions of people and things that it has provided - the ability to be truly present has become a rarity.

When you are with someone - whether a new business contact, friend, or partner - be WITH them.

Be present.
Relentless Consistency

Many people are able to produce bursts of energy. Few people are able to produce consistent, steady flows of energy.

The former might be flashy, but the latter is relentless.

Take pride in punching the clock - in showing up - day in, day out.
Noise Cancellation

The world is a noisy place. We are constantly hammered by stimuli competing for our attention.

The ability to cancel out the noise - to truly focus on the task at hand - is both broadly applicable and extremely powerful.
Be Yourself

The most important competitive advantage.

Always be yourself.

No one can compete with you, at being you.
These are 10 competitive advantages that do not require talent.

What are some others that you would add to the list?

Follow me for more threads on life, business, mental models, and finance. You can find all of my threads in the meta-thread below.
And if you are less Twitter inclined, sign up for my newsletter here, where you can find all of my old threads and receive all of my new threads directly to your inbox. sahilbloom.substack.com
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More from @SahilBloom

17 Mar
Hanlon's Razor is a simple mental model for cutting through negative noise and unlocking growth in your career, startup, business, or relationships.

A short thread on what it is and how it can change your life...
A philosophical "razor" is a principle or rule of thumb used to simplify a decision.

The "razor" quite literally cuts through the unnecessary detail, noise, and information that slows our decision-making processes.

Razors can promote quick, rational, high-quality decisions.
Occam's Razor is the most well-known of the philosophical razors.

It says that when you are weighing alternative hypotheses, the one with the fewest necessary assumptions should be chosen.

In short: simple is beautiful.

I wrote on Occam's Razor below.
Read 15 tweets
14 Mar
First principles thinking is a powerful mental model for driving non-linear outcomes. It also requires a willingness to ask difficult, uncomfortable questions.

Here are a few to help you get started:
What is the problem I am trying to solve?

We often waste time and energy trying to solve the "wrong" problem.

Identify the "right" problem before you start trying to solve it.
What do I know to be true about this problem?

Write down everything you know about the problem (and its previously attempted solutions).
Read 11 tweets
11 Mar
The story of the last few weeks in finance has been the bond market volatility and its impact on equity markets.

A thread on the basics of bonds, yields, and the yield curve to help you make sense of it all...
1/ First, a few quick definitions.

A bond is a loan given to a borrower (usually a company or government) from an investor.

The borrower is said to "issue” a bond, putting it up for sale.

Investors “buy” the bond, providing the loan.
2/ The bond has a "maturity date" on which the borrower must return the remaining principal balance to the investor.

It has a "coupon rate" - the interest rate the borrower has to pay the investor as compensation for taking the risk of loaning money.

High Risk = High Coupon.
Read 21 tweets
7 Mar
Dennis Ritchie is the most influential man you've never heard of.

A thread on the life and legacy of the incredible technology pioneer...
1/ Dennis MacAlistair Ritchie was born to a middle-class family on September 9, 1941, in Bronxville, New York.

His father, Alistair, was a scientist at Bell Labs, the famous American scientific research and development company known for its track record of innovation.
2/ From a young age, it was clear that Dennis Ritchie had an intrinsic aptitude for science and math.

He excelled in his studies.

Upon graduation from Summit High School in 1959, he packed his bags and moved north to attend Harvard University.
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28 Feb
Memento Mori is a powerful philosophical tool for finding clarity and unlocking growth in your career, startup, business, writing, or relationships.

A thread on its meaning and how it can change your life...
Memento Mori is a Latin phrase that translates to "remember that you must die."

A favorite of Stoic philosophy, it is a reminder of the certainty and inescapability of death.

It is not intended to be morbid or dark; rather, to clarify, illuminate, and inspire.
Memento Mori - the idea of remembering your mortality - has been around for millennia.

The phrase itself is believed to have originated in the Roman Empire.

After military victories, the heroes were paraded through the streets on chariots.

They may have felt like Gods...
Read 14 tweets
24 Feb
The @JeffBezos Regret Minimization Framework is a simple yet powerful mental model for making important decisions and unlocking growth in your career, startup, business, relationships, or life.

A short thread on how it works and how it can change your life...
Jeffrey Preston Bezos is an American entrepreneur and technologist.

He is most well known as the founder and CEO (soon-to-be executive chairman) of Amazon and the founder of Blue Origin.

A legendary figure today, he may have remained anonymous if not for one key decision.
In 1994, at age 30, Jeff Bezos was a star at D.E. Shaw, a successful quant-focused hedge fund.

He was on a lucrative path.

But he had become obsessed with a new thing called "the internet" and its power to change the world.

He had a vision of participating in that future.
Read 11 tweets

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