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Establishing a daily routine and increasing baseline energy levels are key to having a productive day, and many techniques, such as Fermi estimation, "thinking in writing," and "logic trees," can help with problem-solving and deep thinking.
Key Points
- Alexey Guzey's morphological problem-solving and brainstorming technique is a classic exercise for analyzing business profits.
- Holden Karnofsky recommends thinking in writing by regularly emptying one's brain onto a page and restating ideas in different ways.
- In chess, a good player will test their move against the strongest possible replies their opponent has.
- Estimating how much scaling is required for blockchains to handle critical infrastructure helps to quickly understand that blockchains need to process millions of transactions per second in order to reach a global scale.
- Engineers and physicists are trained to do Fermi estimation, a technique used to estimate the rough order of magnitude of an unknown quantity.
- Sleep is an important factor to consider and most people should aim for 7-7.30 hours of sleep per night.
Summaries
243 word summary
Start the day right by getting enough energy. Establishing a personal exercise practice and creating a daily routine are key to increasing productivity in the long run. Maximizing baseline energy levels is key to having a productive day. To do this, Nabeelqu suggests getting a positive feedback loop going by doing something productive or important first thing in the morning, telling yourself stories of being an energetic person, and doing something small and rewarding to break out of negative energy feedback loops.
To estimate how many transactions per second (TPS) are necessary for a blockchain to replace the world's infrastructure, it takes roughly a million TPS. Sleep is also important, with the sweet spot for most people being 7-7.30 hours. Engineers and physicists use Fermi estimation to estimate the rough order of magnitude of an unknown quantity. In chess, a good player will test their move against the strongest possible replies their opponent has. Writing regularly also has many benefits, including clearing the mind and learning to think more deeply. To think more deeply, try imagining the strongest possible argument against any claim, plan, or argument. Holden Karnofsky recommends "thinking in writing" and doing weekly reviews to better understand and retain ideas. Alexey Guzey's morphological problem-solving technique, or "logic trees," breaks down a problem into component parts, allowing one to brainstorm and spot overlooked options. Tyler Cowen has noted lawyers' proficiency in this process and Ed Boyden uses it in a startup setting.
680 word summary
Alexey Guzey's morphological problem-solving and brainstorming technique, also known as "map out problems using logic trees," is a classic exercise for analyzing a business's profits. It involves breaking down the problem into component parts, e.g. revenue becomes price * quantity. This process can be repeated recursively, allowing one to brainstorm and spot options that other people may overlook. Tyler Cowen has pointed out that lawyers are very good at this, and Ed Boyden uses it in a startup context.
Holden Karnofsky further recommends that, in order to be a clear thinker, one should learn to think in writing by regularly emptying one's brain onto a page and restating ideas in different ways to better understand and retain them. He also suggests doing a weekly review to reflect on the past week and plan for the next one. Writing regularly has many benefits, including clearing the mind and learning to think more deeply. Everyone should make a habit of this, even if they don't want to be a writer or publish their work. To think more deeply, try imagining the strongest possible argument against any claim, plan, or argument. This mental habit is essential for having true beliefs, though it can be difficult to do.
In chess, a good player will test their move against the strongest possible replies their opponent has. This allows them to pick the best move and avoid overlooking their opponent's resources.
An example of this technique is estimating how much scaling is required for blockchains to handle critical infrastructure. This helps to quickly understand that blockchains need to process millions of transactions per second in order to reach a global scale. Engineers and physicists are trained to do SBF's Fermi estimation, a technique used to estimate the rough order of magnitude of an unknown quantity using information that you already know. Most people don't do this, instead taking claims at face value, and are easily fooled. To avoid this, people should get in the habit of Fermi estimation, looking up key quantities, and using upper and lower bounds.
Sleep is also an important factor to consider. The sweet spot for most people seems to be between 7-7.30 hours, although this can vary from person to person. Oversleeping comes at the cost of time you won't get back, and there is evidence that sleeping more than you need is bad for you. It is possible to train yourself to get by on four hours a night, but this has not worked for everyone.
To estimate how many transactions per second (TPS) are necessary for a blockchain to replace the world's infrastructure, SBF suggests that if there are a billion users doing 10 clicks per day, on average, then it would take roughly a million TPS. This makes sense as 100,000 seconds in a day divided by 10 clicks per day gives a million TPS. Most people think of energy as a finite resource, but energy is different when it comes to mental energy. It is possible to get a positive feedback loop going by doing something productive or important first thing in the morning which gives you a persistent boost throughout the day. This makes it easier to do additional tasks and allows for higher baseline energy overall. Additionally, the stories you tell yourself about yourself matter; if you tell yourself you are an energetic person who isn't affected by jetlag, you may find that to be true. Doing something small and rewarding can help break out of negative energy feedback loops. Maximizing baseline energy levels is key to having a productive day. Creating a daily routine and personal exercise practice can help with this. Nabeelqu shares his contribution to the advice genre that has worked for him.
Start the day right by getting enough energy. This basic truth applies to everyone, but there are less intuitive ways to maximize energy levels. Establishing a personal exercise practice and creating a daily routine are key to increasing productivity in the long run. Nabeelqu has found success by following his own advice, and encourages others to do the same.