24 Nov 2024 #writing
There will only be writes and write-nots.
That’s Paul Graham’s prediction about the future of writing in the days of AI.
Here are my comments on Paul Graham’s post:
1. “To write well you have to think clearly, and thinking clearly is hard”
Clear thinking is the most important reason to write. You need to order your thoughts before putting them on paper or in a document.
If you know how to write and how to speak in public, you’re unstoppable. I heard that from Jordan Peterson somewhere on YouTube.
Write to think and don’t outsource your thinking.
2. “Writing pervades many jobs”
That’s true for us, coders and software engineers too. Writing is everywhere in our software projects. From README files to user stories to product announcements.
And, the higher up you go, it’s less about coding and more about communication. And except for meetings, you’ll spend more time writing than coding.
3. “Almost all pressure to write has dissipated”
Sure, AI can generate blog posts, sales pages, and any other form of writing.
But, by design, AI generates average writing. That’s its goal. We can tell it by looking at the opening line of any AI-generated text. “In the realm of…” or “In the world of…” Nothing screams AI more than that.
AI will bring more average content. We’re already seeing it. Try searching anything in Google these days.
The printing press didn’t kill books. Social networks didn’t kill bars. Instragram didn’t kill photography.
AI won’t kill writing. AI will only make writing more valuable than ever.
23 Nov 2024 #misc
That was what Seth Godin answered during an interview with Jim Kwik for the Kwik Brain podcast. Jim asked him about mindset shifts for people stuck in the ideation phase, struggling to take action.
Then Seth expanded his answer by saying:
“Let’s start with a small solution first…Let’s figure out what’s the smallest habit change that would lead you to create the conditions for the system to support you in where you’re going.”
Seth used back pain as an example. Before going through back surgery, we should change shoes, lose weight, and walk. Those steps require 10 minutes a day. Less effort and commitment than surgery.
I connect that idea with James Altucher’s Daily Practice. By doing something every day for our body, mind, and spirit, we’re creating the conditions to support change in our lives.
22 Nov 2024 #misc
In professional settings, native speakers aren’t the ones who reject non-native speakers by their speaking skills. Other non-native speakers are.
The other day I referred a friend (with good English skills. B2, probably) to the same software agency I was working with. He got rejected. The recruiter (another non-native speaker) rejected him because he had “a strong accent like someone from India.”
Arrrggg! You know what…
Everybody has an accent.
I have an accent, even when speaking my native language. There’s no such thing as a neutral accent, maybe only on TV and in films.
The purpose of learning a second language is communication, not perfection.
Fluency is about connecting with others, not about making 0 mistakes. And, at the end of the day, nobody speaks perfectly in any language.
21 Nov 2024 #misc
There are 7 billion people and 7 billion unique fingerprints.
This means that anything you put your fingerprint on is unique.
To start your creative journey, recreate something you like, by adding or subtracting your own taste. You will put your fingerprint on it. You will make it unique.
I’m putting my fingerprint on this idea. I found it in Reinvent Yourself by James Altucher. He found it somewhere else. He put his fingerprint on it and now I’m putting mine.
That relieves the pressure of coming up with something original. Just put your fingerprint on something.
You find a quote? Put your fingerprint on it by rephrasing it and adding your own taste.
You find an interesting book passage? Put your fingerprint on it by sharing it along with a story.
Sooner or later, people will find your “fingerprinted” versions and follow your work by your own fingerprints.
Take the challenge of putting your fingerprint on something every day. I’m putting my fingerprint on a corner of the Internet with every post.
20 Nov 2024 #misc
What is “it”? How do I know what I should do?
Whatever area you feel like reading 500 books about. Go to the bookstore and find it. If you get bored three months later go back to the bookstore.
That’s from “Reinvent Yourself” by James Altucher.
When he was bankrupt, to get back up again, he started to read 500 books about money. He recommends doing the same.
But I haven’t read 500 books in my life, let alone in one particular subject. Not even about software engineering and programming where I’ve put close to 10,000 hours of practice. I’ve read maybe a couple dozen books about programming and coding.
Let’s say we read 1 book per week. That’s 52 books per year. And that’s ~10 years of reading to reach 500 books. Or less if we choose not to read some books from cover to cover.
An easier alternative is to read 3 books about a subject to stay ahead of the 90%. That’s from The 4-Hour Work Week. That’s way easier. And definitely, anyone can read more than 3 books about a subject. That’s the rule I’ve been following so far to learn new subjects.
Is it better to go all in on a subject with 500 books or mix subjects in between? Don’t know.
The first subject to read 500 books about should be meta-learning, learning how to learn. That would be the groundwork for any future endeavor or experiment.
If after some books we realize we’re not interested in that subject anymore, we’re free to jump to another subject and start from “0 books read” again.