@zachpogrob
Obsession beats discipline - go all-in on your craft until you either die or get reborn.
Low cost-of-living destroys ambition
Evidence
Low cost-of-living cities remove pressure to earn, which removes pressure to achieve. Comfortable mediocrity becomes the default. Peer groups in cheap cities often reinforce contentment over growth.
Implication
Choose cities that create productive pressure through cost and peer quality. High COL forces you to earn, which forces you to create value. The expense is investment in ambient pressure.
Counter Belief
High COL creates survival stress that blocks creation. Many great things have been built in cheap places. Remote work makes location less determinative than ever.
Example Application
Moving from cheap city to NYC creates pressure and exposure that elevates output. The higher rent forces higher income forces higher value creation.