going the long hard stupid way is the best way

Everything takes longer than you think it will. It takes approximately 140 hours to establish friendship; 300 hours to make it a close one. The path to success is circuitous and not without detours. But oftentimes, that only makes it sweeter.

Many concepts can be explained concisely, in simple language, and we should all strive for clarity. But the aphorism is a mistake, for a number of thoughts approximate the carpenter’s craft, and to meaningfully reveal them requires time and attention. Sometimes these cannot simply be told to another at all, they must be grown. For a topical... See more

a lot of times ideas and projects are formed out of a more ambient kind of thinking and talking and doing. Research is not always this thing of sitting down and concentratedly looking through archives or something.

When I asked Whaley about the competitive advantage or vision for MSCHF, he bristled slightly and would only answer obliquely. “I have to think about MSCHF in a 100-year timeframe,” he told me. “Otherwise we are incentivized to take shortcuts.”

I think I understood what he meant. A century-long vision allows you to build something that mostly... See more

Author Ben Short reminds us why the hard work is worth it:

"... looking at the work done and the work still to do, most people would have written the whole thing off as too much sweat for too little gain. But I didn't want an easy life. I wanted a beautiful one."

But busyness has a way of stealing creativity from you. Generative work, like art and writing, requires long periods of nothingness: it’s only in that wide empty space that ideas emerge. Long runs, hot showers, commutes that don’t involve harried Slack messages and listening to podcasts at 2x speed. Sitting at the edge of a dock, listening to the... See more

While stepping into new platforms and niche digital communities is a long-term game, the initial focus shouldn’t be on direct conversions. Instead, the immediate KPIs should centre on building brand affinity, engagement, and traffic. In other words, these early efforts are vital for laying the foundation, fostering a community, and ultimately... See more