@zachpogrob
Obsession beats discipline - go all-in on your craft until you either die or get reborn.
The Unique Input Equation
Best ideas come from the formula: books no one reads + paths no one takes + mistakes no one makes + unique opportunity + unique history. Magic happens when unique inputs combine with unique circumstances.
Decision Rule
Seek differentiation through unusual inputs rather than competing on execution of common ideas. Read books off the beaten path. Take unconventional routes. Your unique mistakes become unique insights.
How It Works
Everyone consuming the same inputs produces the same outputs. Competitive advantage comes from information and experience arbitrage - knowing things others do not because you looked where they did not.
Failure Modes
Pursuing obscurity for its own sake when inputs lack value
Ignoring proven knowledge in favor of contrarian sources
Collecting unique inputs without synthesizing them into output
Example Decision
“Reading an obscure 1960s design book, making a mistake that reveals new insight, seeing opportunity others miss. The combination creates ideas no one else could have.”