The most lasting and effective way to change your life is to change who you’re surrounded by. Since networks so powerfully shape who we are and what we do, the best way to change ourselves is to change our networks.This is a big limitation at the way we look at self-development and self-transformation. We think we can just roll out of bed one day, ... See more

The mathematically obvious path will feel like “the right decision.” But note that what even shows up on your life dashboard is put there by your network. And the math associated with each option — the rewards and frictions and probabilities — are determined by your unique network. And your network is the result of the network decisions you made du... See more

The underlying mechanism for Zipf’s law is not yet agreed on but the main hypothesis is that it’s an outgrowth of the Principle of Least Effort. In short, systems that survive and operate at steady state optimize for efficiency. When they do, things tend to look like Zipf distributions.

Crossroad #7 – ReassessmentsAt any point, you can choose to reassess the course you’re on.The network gravity has been building up since your birth and gets stronger over time. Each network adding and integrating with the others, changing the math on your dashboard until it’s near destiny. But you can decide to ignore that network math and forcibly... See more

Where you live largely determines who you know. Who you know largely determines the richness of your life and your access to wealth and information. Your network is a form of wealth. It brings you friends, career opportunities, or a spouse. Committing to a geography and developing a network increases your access to all the experiences and resources... See more

The world seems chaotic. But it’s not. Underlying all this apparent complexity is some wonderfully simple math. Follow the math to your destination. Understanding the primacy of networks will give you a superpower to see what others do not and navigate life’s big decisions more effectively.

What kind of career or industry do alumni of this college typically work in? Here’s an example of how this works. My 23-year-old nephew went to Trinity College in Connecticut. Most of the students from that college end up working in finance in NYC or Boston. Guess what my nephew now does? He works in finance in Boston. He followed the least resista... See more

Crossroad #1 – What Family You’re Born IntoYou don’t get to choose this one. For better or worse, your family is the fundamental layer of your network topology. Seeing your family through the lens of the network forces model can reveal the hidden depth of that influence.

Do yourself a favor and ignore all of it. Focus on these questions instead:Is this job in the right city? The city I want to live in long term?Will I like and respect my co-workers? Will they like and respect me?Do I want to be like my bosses someday?Do my co-workers career aspirations match mine?Am I going to be working with the best?Is there a st... See more