Amstelden

You Can Just Do Things - Jay Yang

Note: These are my own notes and observations upon reading the book. They serve as a reminder, when I need to rehash some content. I own none of the content.

I. Preparation

1. Don't burn the boats

"This is how leaps of faith happen. Not with a spur-of-the-moment bold decision, but with many quiet moments of preparation that make the leap possible."

2. Define your north star

CHALLENGE

"Write down, in vivid detail, what you want. Be specific, but don't worry about it being perfect. Just get it down. Then write down what you don't want -- the version of life you're determined to avoid. Finally, choose where you'll place your North Star to keep your vision front and center."

3. Be a learning machine

"His genius was not in creating ideas from scratch but in spotting what worked, acting on it quickly, and refining it endlessly."

Ignorance Debt = "Every skill you don't learn, every opportunity you miss, every insight you overlook -- these add up to a cost you pay over your lifetime."

"If you want to pay it down, you have to take responsibility for your education."

4. Reverse engineer the greats

"'Study everything there is know about [a thinker], then find three people that thinker loved and find out everything about them. Repeat this as many times as you can. Climb up the tree as far as you can go. Once you climb your own tree, it's time to grow your own branch.'"

CHALLENGE

*"Find someone who's already achieved what you're chasing. Study them obsessively. Watch their interviews. Read what they've written. Break down their routines, habits, and decisions. What did they do that you're not doing yet?

Then, take ONE action this week that moves you closer to their level."*

5. There's no speed limit

"'The system is designed so anyone can keep up. But if you're more driven than most people, you can do way more than anyone expects. There's no speed limit.'"

"It doesn't matter where you are in your career, there's one thing everyone should obsess over: the compounding rate of your learning."

"'At YC, we tell founders to work on their product, talk to users, exercise, eat, and sleep -- and very little else.'"

"[...] get comfortable setting your own pace."

6. Embrace obsession

*"Here area a few ways to uncover your obsession:

  1. The Pee Test: Pay attention to what you get so absorbed in that you forget to take care of basic needs (like peeing). The next time you lose track of time, ask yourself: What was I doing? Why did it pull me in so deeply?
  2. The Midnight Test: What keeps you awake at night -- not out of stress, but out of excitement? What would you willingly sacrifice sleep over, even if no one else noticed or cared?
  3. The Boredom Test: What do you find fascinating that others find boring? Often, the activities you enjoy but others avoid hold clues to your unique strengths and interests."*

7. Be a super connector

"[...] growth isn't a solo pursuit. The right group doesn't just add value -- it multiplies it."

Pro Tips for Becoming a Super Connector

  1. Whenever you like something, tell the creator
  2. Don't be afraid to ask for help
    1. Keep it specific and thoughtful
    2. Make it easy to say yes
    3. Don't over-ask [...] no one wants to help someone who keeps asking but never acts
  3. Be the initiator

"[...] every great relationship starts with a gesture. A signal. A small act that says, I see you. I care."

"At its core, being a super connector isn't about collecting contacts -- it's about fostering ecosystems where ideas flourish and people grow."

"Whether you like it or not, every opportunity comes from a relationship."

8. Learn to sell

"Think about every opportunity you want. [...] they all depend on your ability to make others believe in you. Even the best ideas, if left unsold, remain just that: ideas."

"Learn to sell, it's the bridge between where you are and where you want to go."

9. Do the work upfront

"If you want to work for someone you admire, partner with your dream company, or pitch a game-changing idea, here's how to do the work upfront:"

  1. Dive into their past conversations
  2. Use Twitter like a pro (filters)
  3. Go beyond first page of Google
  4. Explore archives (such as early work)
  5. Leverage your network

II. Creation

"Creation is the act of turning potential into reality."

10. Strike while the iron is hot

"Most people don't miss opportunities because they're not capable -- they miss them because they're afraid. They settle for something safer, something easier -- a life that feels deceptively comfortable but ultimately hollow. Steven Pressfield calls this a shadow career. It is a safer, watered-down version of the thing you actually want to do."

11. Go where the action is

"100 (skills) \ 0 (visibility) = 0 (opportunity)"*

"Proximity doesn't guarantee success."

"You can't live big in a small environment."

"[...] the second you step into a bigger room, everything changes. You see how small you were thinking. You feel what real ambition looks like. You stop making excuses and start making moves. If you feel stuck, look around. The problem isn't always you -- it's where you're standing."

12. Make your move

"Target the right people"

"Think of it like climbing a ladder. Instead of trying to jump to the top, focus on grabbing the next rung."

"Find the open space"

"Outreach isn't about being loud. It's about being smart."

"[...] the harsh truth is, if you don't ask, the answer is always no."

13. A shameless ask

Funny plugin. Loved the audacity. The style works spot on.

14. Create your own role

TAG method:

"Pro Tip: So much of getting what you want is answering the question: 'How can I make this a no brainer for the other person?'"

"If you want to stand out, stop applying blindly and start being deliberate. Pick a target. Study their problems. Show up with something valuable."

PERMISSIONLESS CHALLENGE

"Use the TAG method! Pick a target. Do an audit of their work. Send them a free gift. Don't expect to get anything in return. The act of doing the audit and reaching out is your prize. Everything else is upside."

15. Dive through cracked doors

"The people who succeed aren't the ones who wait for perfect circumstances - they're the ones who act. They seize what's in front of them and prove their worth through action."

16. Give the extra ounce

"The extra ounce may not always pay off immediately, but over time, it builds something invaluable: reputation capital."

17. Work in public

PERMISSIONLESS CHALLENGE

"Publish something today. Don't overthink it. Don't wait until it's perfect. Just ship. [...] The goal isn't to go viral. The goal is to manufacture momentum."

18. Get in the arena

"'It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood...'"

"Failure in the arena is infinitely better than regret on the sidelines."

19. Stay in the game

"[...] if you're waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect plan, or the perfect first draft -- stop. Give yourself permission to be imperfect. [...] And then stay in the game long enough to get lucky. Because the only way to create something extraordinary is to embrace the ordinary mess along the way."

20. Try the handle

"'The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.'"

"The next time you're tempted to tell yourself, -- It's not that simple -- stop. Ask yourself: What if it is? What if all that's standing between you and the thing you want is the courage to test the handle? [...] you might just find that the door wasn't locked after all."

Permissionless reflection

20 high agency questions to ask yourself

  1. Am I building a strong enough foundation where I capitalize on any future opportunity?
  2. Do I know exactly what I want and what I'm trying to avoid?
  3. Where am I paying ignorance debt without even realizing it?
  4. Who has already solved the problem I'm facing and what can I learn from them?
  5. What am I treating as a rule that's really just a suggestion?
  6. What am I willing to go deeper than anyone else on?
  7. Who am I bringing to the table and how am I helping them win too?
  8. Do I have the skillset to make others believe in what I believe?
  9. Have I done enough upfront preparation to show my commitment and competence?
  10. If I don't act now, will my 80 year old self regret it?
  11. Am I spending time in rooms where opportunities actually happen?
  12. How can I deliver my pitch in a way that's impossible to ignore?
  13. What would I ask for if I wasn't afraid of hearing no?
  14. Where can I create my own role instead of waiting to be picked?
  15. What small opening can I wedge my foot into right now?
  16. What's the tiny bit of effort others aren't willing to give?
  17. Am I sharing my work and processes in public so other can notice and help?
  18. Am I doing the real work, or just watching from the sidelines?
  19. How can I be impatient with my actions and patient with my results?
  20. What bold move have I been too scared to try and what would happen if I just tried the handle?

Self-note 1: It definitely shows the mark of a young person. Advocating for time investment is feasible when you have a lot of it. As you grow older, time becomes more & more precious. Of course, none of the book is invalidated by this comment. It's more about noticing the bias.

Self-note 2: A lot of SV ground knowledge is absorbed and distilled in this book. The short chapters, quick examples and writing style makes it easy to follow.