Every Saturday, I send out 10 ideas I can't stop thinking about. To help you build companies, make content, and follow your obsession.
π΄ On the mad ones, relationships, and your life's work. Ten Bullets by Zach Pogrob.
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To the obsessed, Here's your weekly Ten Bullets. A list of ideas I can't stop thinking about- to help you build companies, make content, and find your life's work. Thanks for reading, sharing, and obsessing. π΄ β
1. On the mad ones: "The only people for me are the mad ones. The ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars." - Jack Kerouac (h/t Garry Tan) 2. On getting what you want out of life: "The only true test of intelligence is if you get what you want out of life. There's two parts to this. One part, is were you able to hack reality to get what you wanted? But, the more important part is, were you smart enough to figure out what to want in the first place?" - Naval Ravikantβ 3. On artists and athletes: "There's a reason so many artists are athletes. That paradox keeps them alive. Great art comes for a dark place, usually on the other side of pain, patience, and unimaginable friction. To operate in that zone- for decades- your body needs to be dialed. Sweat is the only way. True creative work requires an invisible mountain of energy- that comes from training your body like a machine. That endurance, self-control, and self-awareness is underrated. If you lack it, the dark side of a creative pursuit can consume you. You never get out. And maybe worse- neither does your work." [Twitter] 4. On studying the greats: "Find the first guy who really really succeeded on this shit. Even if he was a crook. Just go from there, and read all the way until you get to you. Then you'll realize those people are just you in funny clothes." - Mike Tysonβ I wrote more on Tyson's obsession with fighters and conquerers on Twitter. Also, this is a great small channel for Tyson motivation. 5. On your life's work: "My definition of 'Lifeβs Work:' 'A lifelong quest to build something for others that expresses who you are.'β This thread is one of the best things I've read all year. Hands down. My summary, on what your life's work should be:
6. On relationships: "Relationships can be like that 'temporary' couch that you got when you moved in, that 5 years later is still sitting in your living room. When you arenβt careful, 'yes for now' becomes 'yes for good.' Saying YES to the wrong things is actively saying NO to the right things." - Alex Hormozi (h/t Dylan Jardon for sharing) 7. On experimenting: βI became a writer when I was thirty years old, and I started running when I was thirty-two or thirty-three. I decided to start running every day because I wanted to see what would happen. I think life is a kind of laboratory where you can try anything.β - Haruki Murakami (The New Yorker Interview, 2019) 8. On design: "Great design engage. There's a joy in a well-designed idea that can trump other performance features. We just want to get our hands on it." - Kate Newlin, Passionate Brandsβ 9. On dopeness: "For me, first of all, dopeness is what I like the most. Dopeness. People who want to make things as dope as possible. And, by default, make money from it. The thing that I like the least are people who only want to make money from things whether theyβre dope or not. And especially make money at making things as least dope as possible.β - Kanye West 10. On talent: βI donβt have talent, so I just get up earlier.β - Henry Rollins [βvia Farnam Street] Iβd love to know what you thought of this edition. Reply to this email, or tweet me at @zachpogrob. If you enjoyed this newsletter, forward it to an obsessed friend and tell them which bullet they'd love. π΄ If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe. To read the archive, click here. To sponsor Ten Bullets, click here. Stay obsessed, Zach π΄ |
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βTen Bullets - For The Obsessed π΄
Every Saturday, I send out 10 ideas I can't stop thinking about. To help you build companies, make content, and follow your obsession.
To the obsessed, Here are your weekly Ten Bullets. A list of ideas I can't stop thinking about- to help you build companies, make art, and find your obsession. 1. On fear: "If youβre not scared, youβre not pushing: In the summer of 2020, in the midst of some pillow talk with my wife, I confronted the existential dread I had towards the leap of faith I was about to take by starting Varda [his company]. I thought, why would I do this to myself, starting a company is a miserable experience....
To the obsessed, Here are your weekly Ten Bullets. A list of ideas I can't stop thinking about- to help you build companies, make art, and find your obsession. I ran my first marathon on Saturday, in Memphis. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I entered a new level of The Dark Place, and saw a new version of myself, that will be here forever. I'll write more on the experience, the journey, and what's next with running. But all I know is, I haven't been obsessed with something like...
To the obsessed, Here are your weekly Ten Bullets. A list of ideas I can't stop thinking about- to help you build companies, make art, and find your obsession. 1. On creating for yourself: "I think it's terribly dangerous for an artist to fulfill other people's expectations. They generally produce their worst work when they do that. Never work for other people at what you do. Always remember the reason you initially started was that there was something inside yourself- that you felt- that if...