20 Comments
User's avatar
Cole Klaassen's avatar

Holy smokes, this is incredible.

Thank you!

You have explored a concept that I think is likely commonly felt or thought about, but you leading the exploration mean we get to see it from a thorough, lived angle. That angle is so valuable and so informative. Thank you for writing this!

This is an idea I’ve been sitting on in the back of my mind and it’s incredible to see it fleshed out and explored thoroughly like this, and it includes valuable advice on the do’s and don’ts. Also, I really love the perspective of judge the portfolio not the project. Great advice.

Christina Luebbert, P.E.'s avatar

Great read. I probably focused a bit too much on my foundation over the years and didn't experiment enough.

Doug C's avatar

Awesome read!!! Thank you for sharing

James Supeyo's avatar

Thanks Yew. This is very insightful and helpful.

Shrey Raval's avatar

Fantastic article! Felt like reading an autobiography under 10 mins. I have been saying it since years now, build foundation first, get the fundamentals right, everything else will fall in place!

Tobenna Oduah's avatar

Having a strong foundation is highly underrated

Alejandro's avatar

Fantastic read, thanks for sharing.

Sunny's avatar

This was a great read. I do want to point out, Naseem Taleb had invented a similar concept in his book called The Barbell Strategy. It pretty popular among his readers. Its always refreshing to see someone who has obtained real results from applying it in their life

Renaissance Engineer's avatar

Lot to learn from this post that I can apply to my life. Thank you

Rajas Kshirsagar's avatar

I really really really like this article, you did an incredible job applying pareto principle to your life & then actually putting it together in words.

I have a question about transitioning from the 80% base to starting up on the 20%

" Secure the base first. In your career, be excellent at your core job before you start experimenting. In your finances, automate your savings and build a boring diversified foundation before you open a brokerage account. In your inner life, establish a daily practice before you chase peak experiences. "

- I have confidence that I do well what I do on a daily basis

- My savings have been automated, I have a security fund, and a boring investment strategy deployed

- I'm working out 5 days a week, intentionally limiting daily content consumption & time, BUT I'm not be able to make the jump to experimenting more

How do I make that jump and spark that experimentation?

Yew Jin Lim's avatar

Thank you, that means a lot.

This is a great question, and I think the answer is simpler than it feels. The jump from "solid base" to "running experiments" doesn't have to be a jump at all. It can be a nudge.

Start small. Absurdly small. Most of what I experiment don't feel like a bold move at the time. They always felt like scratching an itch.

If you don't know what to experiment with, that's fine. You don't need a thesis. Ask people you respect what they're trying, reading, or excited about. Pick one thing that sounds even mildly interesting and give it a shot. It's an experiment, not a commitment. The whole point is that most experiments don't work out!

Always be doing. There is no perfect.

Rajas Kshirsagar's avatar

Thank you for sharing

Trying to lean into “ everything is a win, if the intent is to experience things “ a lot more these days.

Terragrafia's avatar

Going into the save and reread a lot folder. Thanks for sharing your insights!

Stef's avatar

Great piece, potentially life-changing. Your use of well-explained examples allows me to really learn these concepts. Thank you for this.

Tola Adetunji's avatar

Thank you for sharing!

Ebrahim's avatar

Amazing post! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us!

Hiren Patel's avatar

Keep it coming !

Carlos's avatar

This is great, I read all your posts.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience!