How to Be More Agentic

I recently sent an email that I wouldn’t have dared try a few years ago, along the lines of: “I’m planning to start an organization similar to yours; would you consider letting me run yours instead?” The response? Crickets.

Ask for things that feel unreasonable, to make sure your intuitions about what’s reasonable are accurate (try not to be a jerk in the process). If you’re only asking for things you get, you’re not aiming high enough. Jobs are a great example: Especially if you’re early in your career, you should aim to get rejected from most things you apply for.

All of my agency hacks are kind of like this—seeking out big, glaring edges that most people might rather ignore.

In my way of thinking, radical agency involves finding real edges: things you are willing to do that others aren’t, often because they’re annoying, unpleasant, or obscured in a cloud of aversion.