The originals

From earlier notes:

• Most successful originals and entrepreneurs aren’t actually big risk takers. They have stability and security and caution in all areas, which frees them to be very risky and original in one area
  • Most keep day jobs while founding, etc
  • Taking the risk out of risky seeming ventures
  • Entrepreneurs are more risk averse than general population, though they do have history of rebellion in teen years, etc
• Coming up with ideas is easy, selecting them well is harder
• Openness leads to creativity leads to original ideas
• Power and status are different. Plant doubt or critiques to make people allies instead of arguers/sales
• Parents who explain why something was wrong (rather than punish), and have few rules, and ask questions to let children choose their own values
• Phrase things around character rather than behavior. ‘Don’t be a drunk driver’
• Don’t assign devils advocates. Unearth them
• Not about cultural fit. About people who share values and improve culture (respect with diversity)
• Nothing to fear from the truth
• Strong opinions, weekly held
• ‘canaries’ - rotating cast of ppl who speak their mind that you can get input from on new things
• Reframe gains as losses, establish burning platform
• Collective wisdom only works if each person is independent, which doesn’t work if opinions are degraded by others opinions rather than fact