The "barbell" feels true for most things today. Either go very early or very late. Cheap or super premium. Very small or very big. The middle is getting commoditized - it's where quality goes to die. - investing (very early stage or public markets) - careers (deep specialist or broad generalist) - education (self taught or top-tier) - media (podcasts or global institutions) - travel (boutique hotels or mega brands) - food (hole in the wall or Michelin Star) And finally, in life strategy: either optimize for freedom (time, simplicity) or for scale (impact, wealth). Comfortable middles rarely compound.