More from @dvassallo

Daniel Vassallo

@dvassallo

8 Mar

Everyone wants to decouple time from money.

The problem? It's an extremely unpredictable way to make a living. For every successful creator, there are thousands who make nothing or almost nothing.

So, how do you make the unpredictable, predictable? Here's what I learned:

See, there are two very distinct worlds of how to make a living in our universe.

The first world is the one we're mostly familiar with, where you follow a predictable career path.

Say you want to make a living as a programmer, a doctor, a plumber, an English teacher, etc. If you do certain things (learn to code, get a specific degree, etc.) you can increase the odds of getting what you want to very close to 100%.

Read 32 tweets

Daniel Vassallo

@dvassallo

18 Feb

@joinClubhouse

Why I find @joinClubhouse interesting:

1. Unlike Twitter, I almost never open the Clubhouse app. Occasionally I get a notification that someone I follow is speaking, and I get the option to drop in. The push system adds random pleasant surprises to my life.

2. I hate parties. The crowds, the small talk, the dressing up, the inability to avoid certain people... ugh.

But I like the idea of parties: An almost free opportunity for chance encounters that could lead to many things.

Clubhouse is my party substitute without the downsides.

Read 6 tweets

Daniel Vassallo

@dvassallo

18 Dec 20

Which's the most important skill you should learn if you want to work for yourself? ...

Selling.

I don't think you learn this by reading about it, but by becoming determined to figure out what motivates people to take out their wallet and pay for things.

I started by observing my own behavior when I came to make purchasing decisions. Whenever I found myself choosing to pay for something (or choosing not to), I would try to reflect on why I was making that decision.

Read 6 tweets

Daniel Vassallo

@dvassallo

18 Nov 20

Some of my favorite books and my main takeaway:

Punished by Rewards — People hate being controlled with carrots & sticks, and only intrinsic motivation lasts.

Man's Search for Meaning — A good life is a story you're proud of.

4 Hour Work Week — Design your lifestyle based on your preferences, not on preferences of others.

Unconditional Parenting — Be on your child's side, unconditionally, all the time.

Blue Ocean Strategy — Find uncontested markets.

Alchemy — Rational is what works, not what makes sense.

Rework — Constraints are advantages in disguise.

Hell Yeah or No — Do almost nothing.

Read 4 tweets

Daniel Vassallo

@dvassallo

13 Oct 20

How to build a portfolio of small bets (without hating your life):

Remember that to thrive, you must first survive. The order matters.

Instead of trying to succeed, try not to fail. Make sure your self-employment arrangement becomes sustainable quickly by going for the low hanging fruit.

Low hanging fruit are opportunities that require very little cost, time, and effort — even if it means they're not the most enjoyable and have limited upside.

Try as many of these "small bets" as you can, and run them in parallel — no need to wait for a failure to do the next.

Read 5 tweets