FS | BRAIN FOOD

May 4th, 2025 - #627 - read online - Free Version

Welcome to Brain Food, a weekly newsletter offering timeless wisdom in an accelerating world.

Tiny Thoughts

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The most valuable skill isn't inspiration but the ability to work without it.

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What you find interesting is a better predictor of success than what you're good at.

Curiosity isn't random; it's a compass.

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What separates good work from great isn't talent but persistence.

The most successful people aren't those who feel motivated all the time; they're the ones who work even when they don't feel like it. Too often, waiting to feel ready means never starting.

Outliers act despite their feelings, not because of them.

Insights

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Steve Jobs explains why motivation can't be forced:

“I've never found in my whole life that you could convince someone who doesn't want to work hard to work hard.”

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A timely reminder from Clear Thinking:

“One reason the best in the world make consistently good decisions is they rarely find themselves forced into a decision by circumstances.”

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Alexi Pappas on the battle that we are all fighting:

“We go through life thinking everyone else has it better than us until we grow up and realize we’re all in our own tiny boats of self-doubt and second-guessing.”

The Knowledge Project

How long does it take to spot a billion-dollar idea? According to Y Combinator President Garry Tan, 10 minutes.

“If in 10 minutes you cannot understand what’s going on, it means the person on the other end doesn’t understand what’s going on and there isn’t anything to understand.”

In this episode of TKP, he breaks down YC’s famous ten-minute interviews, shows why earnest founders beat slick ones, explains how a few AI-armed builders can win against the biggest companies in the world, and so much more.

+ Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Web

The Repository

Found in a letter to Peter Cundill, this reminder captures the quiet strength behind truly admirable people:

“The measure of a person is the congruence between their words and actions, their kindness, their confidence, and their decisiveness about who they are in the world and who they intend to remain.”

+ Members can read all 54 of my highlights from the book in the repository.

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Thanks for reading,

— Shane Parrish

P.S. Follow one ball. Trust me.

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