Discussing models for wealth creation, Naval Ravikant states:

Learn to sell. Learn to build. If you can do both, you will be unstoppable.

Whether it be Wozniak and Jobs to Gates and Allen, Ravikant points out the common thread among successful companies in Silicon Valley: a deep understanding of both technology and sales.

These two domains are fairly broad. Selling in this sense encapsulates specific knowledge in human behavior, which could include inspiring others, marketing, or recruiting. Building, on the other hand, is the value-creation itself – from developing programs to leading operations.

I believe this complimentary specialization is useful to our own ventures, in high school and beyond – great things can happen when someone can create ideas worth selling and another (or even themselves) has a high ability to sell worthy ideas.

At the individual level, I’ve found this framework relevant to college applications – I’ve done all the “building” throughout my four years in high school, being involved in my extracurriculars, now I need to “sell” my profile to colleges, communicate my “value proposition” and fundamentally, my “why”.

So, as we embark on the next chapter of our lives, consider how you fall into these two categories, how you might bring value to others. Are your strengths in the technical or in the emotional? Which field would you rather pursue?

Or, is it both?

 

If you are interested in this idea further.

When you say it, you’re selling. When they say it, you’re closing.

When you just spout facts and features of your product or idea without understanding your customer, you will almost always lose engagement and interest.

Alternatively, if you truly are looking to serve others, you try to explore and diagnose their fundamental needs before prescribing any solutions, illuminating their thinking and building ethos. Allowing the individual to arrive at the conclusion on their own, this is when you know they have bought into the idea.

As such, across disciplines, the art of persuasion is not a skill in just speaking, but also listening.

A video with more on this idea.

If you try and toss a tennis ball up into the air and swing your racket as hard as possible, you will most certainly be inconsistent in your serve. Your contact point will vary greatly, and your timing will be un-timely. As you try to meet the airborne ball with your racket, you will probably sway wildly trying to adjust to the ball’s position.

Coaching little kids over the summer, when we taught little kids how to serve a tennis ball, the first thing we have had them do has nothing to do with a racket. The first day comprises of time with just the ball, tossing it straight and fluidly into the air, focusing on tossing with an open palm, a stable stance, and simplified arm mechanics.

Then, when your toss is consistent, the serving almost begins to take care of itself. Your racket will naturally meet the ball at its apex, and it being in the right spot relative to the server, you won’t need to make so many accommodations with the rest of your body.

When we want to get good at serving a tennis ball, we are better off first getting good at tossing. When we aspire for remarkable outputs, we look to refine the process, be methodical in the work.

Inspiration:
Seth Godin: https://seths.blog/2018/07/throwingcatching

Through late-night editing sessions and turf-infested socks after games, I found myself dapping up six-foot-seven power forwards and discovering an altruistic community of creatives. As a sports photographer, I found myself in a liminal space between two worlds I had previously known separately−athletics and the arts.

First entering this space as a timid freshman, I found confidence during games from the enthusiasm of athletes and camera-wielders alike. Otherwise presenting a larger-than-life persona in the hallways, they showed me during pre-game rituals and on the sidelines how to express oneself authentically, to be genuine to the people around me. Sharing with other photographers our different shooting and editing styles, I learned to appreciate the various perspectives of ideas both on and off the field, each shaped by the lens they’re viewed through.

Building a following as I covered more games, I realized that my fulfillment came not from social media metrics, but rather from sharing this creative practice with others. Covering senior nights and elimination-round victories, I observed how these games lasted beyond the final whistle. Capturing images for beyond myself, I strive to share these timeless moments with athletes and support them as they pursue the next level. Guiding fellow shooters through the once-daunting task of requesting media clearance, finding positions on the field, or understanding the complexities of frame rate and aperture, I seek to contribute to this community of creatives in the same spirit as those before me.

Through this particular passion for creativity and generosity, I develop a multi-lensed perspective for the people around me.

Consider an in-person meeting with another individual:

If it can be done in person, could it be done over a phone call?

If it can be done over a phone call, could it be done over an email?

If it can be done over email, could it be done over a text?

 

The impetus for this post comes after attending a not-too-productive meeting, in which all the information could have been as effectively shared over email. Had it been so, the time together could have been more meaningful, or at least the collective energy to organize could have been saved.

 

Now, to how many clubs and organizations does this apply? How are you leading your tribe?

 

When others have trusted you with their time, life’s most precious asset, it’s in our own best interest to reciprocate that recognition of value.

Are blogs for old people? Maybe. In all honesty, I only recently learned what RSS feeds are. Nevertheless, the following are some newsletters and blogs I follow, mostly falling under the themes of mindfulness, optimism, and productivity, and that can hopefully can be of value to you.

1. Seth’s Blog (Seth Godin) – Author, blogger, marketer. Has one of the largest following by all bloggers. Maintains a daily blog that questions the status quo and advocates for the meaningful, creative work. Favorite blog: Throwing and Catching
2. Notes to Inspire (Simon Sinek) – Author, public speaker. Provides daily bits on leadership and serving others. Favorite quote: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
3. Daily Stoic (Ryan Holiday) – Author, media strategist. A daily blog on stoicism through an anecdote and resulting application to daily life. Despite being hesitant on the whole philosophy stigma, I’ve found this school of thought quite practical, particularly during these volatile times (COVID, Senior year, the like). Favorite post: Memento Mori
4. James Clear – Author. Weekly newsletter with a compilation of quotes, mental models, and a question for thought. recently subscribed, has some good stuff on mental models. Favorite quote: “An hour of thinking can save you a decade of work”
5. Tim Urban – Blogger. Has longer-form content that AP Lit Teachers (cough) like. Ideas range from social media stereotypes to the Fermi paradox. You might recognize him as the guy who did the Ted Talk on Procrastination. Favorite post: Religion for the Nonreligious
6. Gabe Anderson – Musician, blogger. Relatively random guy who plays guitar who has the occasional good insight on decision-making. Favorite post: Getting that parking spot

In the hike to the top of the mountain, we often encounter signposts, breadcrumbs, signs of civilization, from other travelers on their way to their own summit. In recognizing the past journeys that align, even if for just a while, we can find guidance and optimism for our own path ahead.