9 Harsh Truths Nobody Told You About Success

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1. 

   E474 · 18 Sep 2026 · 8 min

   Jevons Paradox: The Perils of Efficiency

   In 1865, English economist William Stanley Jevons studied the impact of the increased efficiency of coal use. The common economic intuition said that as efficiency improved, people would use less coal. Jevons argued that the economic reality was different: As technology improved the efficiency of coal use, demand for coal would increase as people created and justified new uses. It became known as Jevons Paradox: technological improvements that increase the efficiency of a given resource lead to a rise in the consumption of that resource. I think the most interesting application of Jevons…

2. 

   E473 · 16 Sep 2026 · 11 min

   I Think I Need to Talk About Failure

   Last Sunday, I was scheduled to run a marathon with a goal of completing the race in 2:49:59. I trained all summer for the race, building up to 70+ mile weeks. I tapered. I carb loaded. I meticulously prepared for every detail. And honestly, I was certain I’d do it. But…I failed. After 21.45 miles at a 6:24 average pace, I stopped and walked off the course. I didn’t finish. DNF. That’s not something you read in newsletters or see on social media every day. It’s all about wins. Successes. Achievements. On Wednesday, I wrote about why failure is a good thing. It means you had the courage to go…

3. 

   E472 · 11 Sep 2026 · 9 min

   Be a Ford, Then a Sloan

   The engineer took out an axe and slammed it into the brick wall. It was June 1896. The young man had spent months working in a small brick shed behind his rented house, only to realize, at 4am, that the door wasn't big enough for what he'd built. His name was Henry Ford. His creation, the Ford Quadricycle. His atomic insight was simple: He began viewing the factory itself as the product. While others obsessed over the car, he obsessed over the factory. By the early 1920s, Ford owned an extraordinary 60% of the U.S. automobile market. But around 1921, the ground began to shift. And while Ford…

4. 

   E471 · 9 Sep 2026 · 7 min

   It Was Just a Game of Catch

   Last weekend, my family and I made our annual pilgrimage to a small community in northwest Connecticut. When I was 18 months old, my parents had rented a house there for the summer, seeking an escape from the New York City heat. The next year, we went back. The following, we went again. Soon, the tiny enclave became like a second home. I met my two best friends there. I caught my first fish there. I had my first crush there. But perhaps most importantly, I played my first game of catch there. As I remember it, I was probably about five years old. My dad had a softball and a couple of old…

5. 

   E470 · 4 Sep 2026 · 6 min

   A Lesson From a Mentor I'll Never Forget

   I first met Tim Cook in 2014. I was just starting my career in finance and had signed up for a local gym that opened at 5:00am. I started arriving at 4:45am so I could get to the office by 6:30. Each morning, there was a small handful of others who would congregate outside the doors at that time. Tim happened to be one of the people in that group. For the first six months, I talked to him almost every day and had exactly zero idea who he was. As our friendship grew and I came to consider him a mentor, I realized something deeper was going on. A few years later, he was still there. Doing the…

6. 

   E468 · 28 Aug 2026 · 8 min

   The Focusing Illusion: A Science-Backed Life Trap

   Imagine two different people on the same mid-January day. One lives in California. He walks outside in shorts and a t-shirt. The warm sun beams down on his face. He puts on his sunglasses, unlocks his car, and turns the AC on full blast. One lives in New York. He walks outside in a heavy jacket. He grimaces as the cold wind hits his uncovered face. He opens the trunk of his car, takes out a brush, and starts cleaning the snow and ice off his windshield. Which one do you assume is happier? You just picked one in your mind. And I probably would have picked the same. Right up until I lived…

7. 

   E467 · 26 Aug 2026 · 9 min

   The Hidden Debt of Convenience

   A few weeks ago, I came across a podcast clip of Conan O'Brien talking about why he doesn't pay to fly private. He likes going through the airport, chatting with people at TSA, and "being in the world with other people that are traveling." It got me thinking about the obsessive pursuit of convenience and the hidden debt it creates in your life. Money has the ability to reduce the simple stresses, burdens, and inconveniences of adult life. But there's a certain level of inconvenience that's an important part of the human experience. When you seek convenience, you get a benefit now in the form…

8. 

   E466 · 21 Aug 2026 · 8 min

   Why You Need to Subtract: The Vasa Effect

   In 1628, Sweden's mightiest warship sank less than a mile into its maiden voyage -- not because of an enemy attack, but because a king couldn't stop adding to it. I call it the Vasa Effect: the addition of individual positives can eventually create a catastrophic negative. In this week's piece, I break down why our bias for addition is holding us back and how creative subtraction might be the fastest way to improve. ••• This episode brought to you by: DeleteMe - DeleteMe makes it quick, easy, and safe to remove your personal data online. Origin Financial - Your personal AI Financial Advisor.…

9. 

   E465 · 19 Aug 2026 · 11 min

   Why You Need a Side Quest in Life

   The seat you randomly chose on day one is the seat you'll sit in for the rest of the term. My college professor said that, and he was right -- not just about lecture halls, but about life. Your life has gravity, and most people never even feel it building. This week, I break down the two types of gravity keeping you stuck and the simple answer to making sure you can always escape. ••• This episode brought to you by: DeleteMe - DeleteMe makes it quick, easy, and safe to remove your personal data online. Origin Financial - Your personal AI Financial Advisor. Track your spending, investments,…

10. 

    E464 · 14 Aug 2026 · 7 min

    The Scarlet Robe Effect

    A fancy robe nearly destroyed a philosopher's life. In 1765, Denis Diderot's financial means went from meager to extravagant. Soon thereafter, he came to own a fancy scarlet dressing robe. Diderot liked the status that the fancy robe conferred on him but quickly felt the remainder of his possessions could not compare. So, in quick succession, he purchased a new leather chair. New shoes. An elaborate wooden desk. All of which seemed appropriately matched to his lovely scarlet robe. Or, perhaps more important, appropriately matched to the type of person who wore such a robe. I call this…