My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Shift vs Support Response Pattern
Two types of conversational responses: shift responses redirect attention to yourself, while support responses help the other person elaborate and feel heard.
Decision Rule
Use support responses to build connection and make others feel interesting. Use shift responses sparingly and only after thoroughly exploring their topic.
How It Works
Support responses create psychological safety and encourage deeper sharing. Shift responses, while natural, can make people feel unheard and less important.
Failure Modes
Overusing shift responses makes you seem self-centered and uninterested
Pure support responses might make you seem passive or boring
Fake curiosity is transparent and backfires
Example Decision
“When someone says 'I'm training for a marathon,' shift response: 'I ran a 5K once.' Support response: 'What got you into long-distance running?'”