The Greatest Life Hacks, Types of Luck, & More
The Friday Five: Episode LVII
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Today at a Glance:
Quote: Imperfection as a feature.
Framework: Types of luck.
Tweet: Contrarian views.
Article: The greatest life hacks.
Podcast: Andy Dunn’s struggle.
One Quote:
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” - Marilyn Monroe
Imperfection is a feature, not a bug.
Embrace it—your imperfections attract those you want to be around (and repel those you do not).
One Framework:
The 4 Types of Luck
Luck is a fascinating topic—often discussed, but rarely deconstructed. One of the best frameworks I’ve encountered to deconstruct luck is from Naval Ravikant.
He proposes four general archetypes of luck:
Type I—Blind Luck: Completely uncontrollable. Where you are born, who you are born to, and the base circumstances of your life all fall into this category.
Type II—Hustle Luck: You’re creating motion and collisions through hustle and energy that you are inserting into an ecosystem. The increase in collisions opens you up to more lucky events.
Type III—Awareness Luck: Depth of understanding within a given arena allows you to become very good at identifying and positioning yourself for luck. You can “spot luck” from a mile away because of your sensitivity to it.
Type IV—Expert Luck: Your expertise in a given arena creates luck. If you are an expert in a field, luck actually seeks you out.
I personally think of Type I - III as coming in stages as you grow up:
Type I dictates the early years of your life.
Type II comes into play as you begin to hustle in your 20s.
Type III sets in as you develop experience and awareness in your 30s.
Type IV is unique—it’s dislocated from age dependency.
In the digital age, expertise is no longer closely guarded by credentials or gatekeepers. Instead, it’s earned in the global intellectual arena of the internet. By writing, recording, and sharing your ideas online, you can build credibility and establish expertise that generates Type IV luck without ever leaving your home.
Put yourself out there—read, write, share, engage. This is the new way to get lucky.
One Tweet:
I really enjoy Codie’s writing and content. She has a unique voice and is building in public and sharing earned insights along the way.
There are a lot of interesting ideas in this one.
My favorite: keep a happy list—a short list of simple things that make you truly happy. Even on your most challenging days, you can pick something on the list and bring a smile to your face. I’m going to make mine this weekend!
One Article:
The Greatest Life Hacks in the World (For Now)
A collection of some gems of simple wisdom from across the internet. The genesis of the piece is Kevin Kelly—the famed technologist and founder of Wired Magazine—who annually shares a compilation of timeless bits of wisdom on his birthday.
It’s worth your time.
My favorites:
When you have 90 percent of a large project completed, finishing up the final details will take another 90 percent.
Getting cheated occasionally is a small price to pay for trusting the best in everyone, because when you trust the best in others, they will treat you the best.
Build identity capital. In your 20s do three fascinating things that job interviewers and dinner companions will want to ask you about for the rest of your life.
Make the day; don’t let the day make you. Make sure you are setting your schedule, not just responding to invitations from others.
If you meet a jerk once a month, you’ve met a jerk. If you meet jerks every day, you’re a jerk.
So, so good. Read it!
One Podcast:
HIBT Lab: Burn Rate—Andy Dunn
From the outside looking in, Andy Dunn had it all. He was the founder of a mega-successful brand (Bonobos) and had all the trappings of that success.
But on the inside, he was better described as tortured.
I loved this episode—Andy gets vulnerable about dealing with struggle, taking care of yourself, and finding a path to feeling whole again.
I’d love to get Andy on Where It Happens for a deep-dive into his career, book, and advice for young builders out there. Let’s make it happen!
Listen to it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Where It Happens Podcast
Building From Scratch with Ryan Hoover
Watch it on YouTube and listen to it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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I've got a question for you Sahil. I'm trying to implement your strategy of 50 minutes on -- 10 minutes off work sprints. I'm struggling to find good ways to refresh/busy myself in those 10 minutes. I work from a WeWork in NYC. Would love your thoughts and your personal preferences.
👏🙏