Chapter Content
Okay, so, like, figuring out where your talents lie, and you know, building expertise... that's a big part of, like, finding your way, right?
And, uh, sales skills, for example, that's definitely a specialty. You see some people, they're just, like, *naturally* good at sales. You see it all the time, especially in startups and the venture capital world. These, like, born salespeople, they're just impressive, you know? They're just really, really good at it. I mean, they have expertise.
Obviously, they didn't just, like, *pop* into existence knowing how to sell. Their sales skills were learned somehow, but not necessarily in a classroom. Maybe they learned to pitch on the school playground, or, uh, through negotiating with their parents, or, hey, maybe there's just some, you know, genetic component in there somewhere.
But, like, the good news is sales skills can be improved. You can, you know, read books on persuasion or go to sales training or even, like, do door-to-door sales, which, honestly, sounds terrifying, but it's supposed to really help you level up, like, super fast.
I think, like, expertise, though, you can't really *teach* it, you know? It's more like you *learn* it.
So, to figure out what your own, like, unique expertise could be, think back to when you were a kid, a teenager, what stuff did you do, like, almost effortlessly? Sometimes, you don't even realize it's a skill, but other people notice. Like, your mom, or your best friend growing up, they probably have some idea of what made you special.
So, some examples of, like, natural talents and expertise: sales skills, obviously. Or, uh, musical talent. You pick up any instrument without even, like, breaking a sweat. Or maybe you have incredible focus, and you can just, like, get totally absorbed in something and remember everything about it really quickly. Or, you know, maybe you're obsessed with sci-fi. You just, like, devour all the books and soak up all the knowledge. Or maybe you're really good at games, like you just intuitively understand game theory. Or, hey, maybe you love gossip. You just know everything about everyone's social network. That could make you a really insightful journalist someday.
You know, everyone has, like, a unique mix of genetics, environment, and how you react to everything around you. That shapes your expertise. It's just part of who you are, your identity. So, once you figure out what you naturally enjoy and what you're good at, then you can, like, really lean into it.
Because, honestly, when it comes to just being *you*, nobody can beat you at that game.
And, you know, most of life is really just about searching, searching for the people who need you the most, searching for the things that need you the most.
Like, for me, for example, I love reading, and I love technology. I learn fast, but, man, I get bored easily. So, if I had to, like, study the same problem for 20 years, Iβd be terrible at it. Which is why I'm in venture capital. You gotta keep up with all the new tech, which is constantly evolving, and my "easily bored" personality is actually a good thing, you know? So, yeah, venture capital kinda fits with my expertise and skills.
I originally thought I wanted to be a scientist, by the way. I had this whole moral hierarchy where scientists were at the top, you know? Like, they're the ones making breakthroughs, the ones really contributing to society. I thought they should be, like, the most respected people. Not to say that art or politics or engineering or business aren't important, but without science, we'd still be, like, living in caves.
You know, society and business and money, it all comes from technology, and technology comes from science. Applied science is what really drives progress.
So, I thought, okay, applied scientists are, like, the most important people. And that's going to be even more true in the future.
So, that was my whole value system, based around being a scientist. That's what I dreamed of. But what was I actually *good* at? Where was I actually spending my time? Looking back, it was all about making money, working with technology, working with people, selling stuff, talking about ideas, you know, pitching things.
I had some sales skills, which, again, is a kind of expertise. I had some analytical skills, figured out how to make money. I was obsessed with data, gathering it, especially breaking it down. And I just loved learning about tech. All that stuff came easily to me, like playing a game, but for other people, it seemed like hard work.
You know, some people struggle with sales, they're like, "How do I become articulate and persuasive?" And honestly, if you're really struggling, if you just don't enjoy it at all, then maybe sales isn't for you. You should focus on what you actually enjoy.
The first person to really point out my talent was my mom. I was, like, fifteen or sixteen, talking to my friends about wanting to be an astrophysicist. And my mom overheard us from the kitchen, and she said, "No, you're going to go into business." I was, like, "What? My mom thinks I'm going into business? I'm gonna be an astrophysicist! What is she even talking about?" But, you know, turns out, she knew what she was talking about.
So, to really build and develop your expertise, you need to play to your strengths. Study what you're genuinely curious about. Follow your passions. Don't just pick whatever major is hot right now, and don't jump into whatever industry investors are hyping up.
And usually, expertise lives in the, like, the edges of knowledge, you know? The stuff that's just starting out, or the stuff that's really hard to understand. That's where you can find your niche. If you're not, like, 100% into it, someone else who *is* will just blow past you. They won't just be a little bit better, they'll be *way* better. Because we're talking about creative fields here. The compounding effect is huge, the leverage is huge.
And the internet has just opened up, like, so many career possibilities. I don't think most people really grasp how big this is.
Everyone can find their audience now. Just be yourself online, express yourself in a unique way, and you have the chance to spread joy, make money, build products, start a company.
With the internet, you can do well even if your interests are super niche, as long as you're the best at what you do, and as long as you can scale whatever special thing you're offering. And the great thing is, everyone's unique. So, everyone can be the best at *something*. Nobody can be better at being *you* than you can.
There's this one tweet I didn't include in my "How to Get Rich" tweet storm, but it's really important. It's really simple: "Escape competition through authenticity." Because, basically, competition is just imitation. You're competing with other people because you're doing the same thing. But everyone's unique. Don't imitate others.
If you're creating and promoting something that's a genuine expression of who you are, then nobody can compete with you. Who can compete with Joe Rogan or Scott Adams? You can't. Can anyone draw a better Dilbert comic than Scott Adams? No. Can anyone write a better Calvin and Hobbes comic than Bill Watterson? No. That's because those original works are totally unique. They're beyond comparison.
The best work isn't about assignments or degrees. The best work is a creative expression of a lifelong learner in a free market.
So, the most important skill for getting rich is becoming a lifelong learner. And you gotta figure out how to learn whatever you want. The old model was: go to college for four years, get a degree, work in some field for 30 years. But that's not how it works anymore. Things change too fast. You need to be able to master a new field in, like, nine months, and then that field might be obsolete in four years. But in those three years, you can become really wealthy.
Being able to become an expert in a completely new field in, like, nine to twelve months is way more important now than choosing the "right" major a long time ago. And you just gotta have those basic skills, so you're not afraid of any book. If you pick up a book at the library and you can't understand it, then figure out what foundational knowledge you need to understand that book, and then go learn that. Fundamentals are really important.
Just like, in life, basic arithmetic is way more important than calculus. And being able to express yourself clearly in simple English is way more important than writing poetry or having a huge vocabulary or speaking seven different languages.
It's more important to understand how to communicate and persuade than to be a digital marketing expert or a click-through rate optimizer. Fundamentals are key. Getting a 90 or 100 on the fundamentals is way better than diving too deep too quickly.
Of course, there are things you need to dive deep into. Otherwise, you're just a jack of all trades, master of none. And you can only be a master of one or two things. And usually, those are the things that you're just obsessed with.