#22 You only need to make a dent in the universe, not dominate it

Happy new year!

I had some fears that amidst the holiday season, where days start to mix up and there is little mood to work (ah, if only every week could be like this), I would also forget to have this sent out.

One inspiration for this newsletter was a feeling that the media was over-hyping a certain kind of success:  young, immensely talented individuals owning companies with titanic valuations, and glamorous, perfect lifestyles. The publicity could make a normal life seem insufficient. I thus wanted to share alternative views of measuring achievement and defining happiness. 

To start the year, I would like to share something that I found relevant in thinking about my own aspirations. 

Reconsider is an essay by DHH, a founder of Basecamp. It discusses Basecamp's story, how it differs from the typical tech-startup in San Francisco, the inspirations of its founders, and pokes at the cycle of capital that is constantly being announced in the press.

While the SF tech-startup context is not truly on point for me, this essay had three takeaways for me: 

1. You only need to make a dent in the universe, not dominate it : It is popular now to talk about huge impacts: changing the landscape of the world, winning entire markets, of domination and revolution. However, perhaps we can all be content with only making a small dent in the universe. It could be a small business, a small side project, or perhaps just doing a good deed once. Nothing more is needed or expected of us, so there is no need to feel inferior for failing to change the cosmos.  

2. Things may be ugly under the surface: This article gives a different look to the startup world, about the side effects of funding, the challenge of having investors to account to, and the need for accelerated growth. All the glory might simply be brainwashing by investors, promulgated by the media, to serve their own interest. I do not know if this is true, but it shows that things may not be as perfect as they seem. It is more likely that the self-interests of others are involved, and that everything good comes at a cost.

3. Expected value: "In the abstract, economic sense, a 30% chance of making $3M is as good as a 3% chance of making $30M is as good as a 0.3% chance at making $300M". I liked this viewpoint, that in one perspective,  all aims and goals can be similar regardless of how large the potential result. There is no shame in setting your intentions towards something more stable and with smaller impact.

Wishing you a great year ahead!

James