Speed beats strategy
Strategy matters, but it becomes less useful the longer it goes untested. Over the years, I've learned that shipping turns opinions into evidence. The faster I close that loop, the faster I learn what people actually need. SpaceX takes this idea to an extreme with its rapid iterative development.
My preferred cycle is simple:
- Listen
- Build
- Ship
- Collect feedback
- Repeat
For me, moving fast is about shortening the distance between an idea and the truth, without getting careless along the way. Speed is money, but more importantly, speed creates clarity.
Feedback is a superpower
Truth is more useful than pride.
Feedback is uncomfortable because it exposes the gap between how I see myself and how other people experience me. That gap is usually where the useful stuff is.
Netflix calls this candor and treats direct feedback as part of everyday work, not something saved for a performance review. I don't have to accept every opinion as fact, but I do need to hear it before defending myself. Then I can decide what's useful, apply it, and keep moving.
I don't think anyone willing to repeat that process has a fixed ceiling.
Find pleasure in the progress
Novelty always fades. The promotion becomes normal. The finish line moves. The thing you once wanted eventually becomes another part of your life.
Early in 2026, I realized that my life had started to feel too still. So I started saying yes to things that scared me: endurance training, scuba diving, and skydiving. The milestones were exciting, but they weren't the lasting reward. That came from becoming someone capable of reaching them, meeting people along the way, and collecting a few good stories for the campfire.
The goal gives you direction. Progress changes you.
No creates room for something new
A rejection, failed project, layoff, or relationship ending can feel like a door closing on the future I expected. Sometimes it is. But it can also create space for a future I couldn't see while I was holding onto the old one.
I remember reading Steve Jobs describe getting fired from Apple as the event that freed him to enter one of the most creative periods of his life. That stayed with me.
Not every setback is secretly a gift. Some things just hurt. But sometimes a no is redirection, protection, or simply the push I needed to move and become better.
Be resilient
Resiliency, one of my favorite words.
I've always liked underdog stories. The Big Green probably has something to do with that. Starting behind forces you to pay closer attention, adjust faster, and find a way forward without the obvious advantage. There's also a second-mover advantage. Someone else goes first, you see where they struggled, and you get to take a better swing.
David Goggins takes resilience to an extreme. His story sticks with me because he refuses to let where he started decide where he could end up.
People remember who keeps showing up. That's true for teams and businesses too. When things get difficult, I want to be known as someone who adjusts, finds another route, and keeps going.
Assume good intent
Most friction I've experienced was never malice. Usually, someone was missing context, working from a different incentive, communicating badly, or simply having a rough day.
I always try to slow it down: ask before concluding, clarify before reacting, and disagree without making it personal.
Patterns still matter, and some conversations need to be difficult. Starting with curiosity gives me a better chance of responding to what happened instead of reacting to it.