## Highlights - Copywork is one method for revealing a hidden formula, but it’s far from the only approach. Another, popular among nonfiction writers, is to leaf through the endnotes section at the back of a book and examine the original sources an author used to construct their piece. ([Location 271](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=271)) - the world’s most popular stories—including those featured in the Bible, literary classics, and blockbuster films—fit neatly into one of six trajectories: Rags to Riches (a rising emotional arc) Riches to Rags (a falling emotional arc) Man in a Hole (a fall followed by a rise) Icarus (a rise followed by a fall) Cinderella (rise, fall, rise) Oedipus (fall, rise, fall) ([Location 291](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=291)) - Business Blueprint Introduce a proven product into a new market POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS: What cuisines, beverages, or desserts are popular near me that I can introduce elsewhere? What physical products are popular near me that I can introduce elsewhere? What services are popular near me that I can introduce elsewhere? Then, of course, there is the flip side of this equation: What cuisines, beverages, or desserts are popular elsewhere that I can introduce near me? What physical products are popular elsewhere that I can introduce near me? What services are popular elsewhere that I can introduce near me? ([Location 399](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=399)) # 4. La Supériorité des Algorithmes dans l'Analyse de Patterns Complexes - Given a modest number of variables, we humans do pretty well at detecting patterns. But past a certain level of complexity, our performance sinks. It’s here that computer algorithms blow us out of the water. They have the bandwidth to evaluate an enormous database of features, the capacity to analyze multiple factors at the same time, and the ability to update their predictions in real time as new data are made available. They’re also immune to the unconscious expectations and social pressures that can prevent us from entertaining unconventional predictions. ([Location 585](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=585)) ## 5. L'Arôme comme Facteur Clé du Succès Culinaire - When we think of a successful dish, we often focus exclusively on a single factor: taste. Watson’s analyses suggest that it’s not taste that makes a dish irresistible—it’s aroma. As it turns out, the scent of roast chicken or a hearty lobster bisque activates receptors in the nose and throat, releasing a cascade of pleasurable endorphins into the bloodstream long before we consume our first bite, sparking delight in ways we fail to register consciously. The second insight gained from Chef Watson’s findings is even more valuable, especially for chefs who are equally adept at crunching data as they are dicing vegetables. It’s that aroma is, at its core, mathematical. You don’t need to go through the trouble of actually cooking a dish to determine if it produces a delightful aroma. All you need to do is fire up Excel and analyze a recipe’s ingredients. Every ingredient contains certain chemicals that lend it its unique fragrance. These are called aromatic compounds. ([Location 594](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=594)) - grilled asparagus with dark chocolate; ([Location 607](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=607)) - Why is collecting outstanding examples so important? Because the first step to achieving mastery is recognizing mastery in others. ([Location 622](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=622)) - Suppose you’ve come across a website from a health guru you vaguely recognize. The landing page is fresh and charming and instantly draws you in. You’re about to register to receive a free giveaway when you pause for a moment. “I don’t usually sign up for newsletters like this,” you think to yourself. “Why exactly am I drawn to this one?” ([Location 648](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=648)) - The first and most obvious question: “How does this landing page differ from other health guru landing pages?” Variations on this question include: What makes this enticing? What can I learn from this? How does this apply to a project I am working on? ([Location 652](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=652)) - What does zooming out mean on a practical level? One example, used in writing, captures this approach perfectly. It’s called reverse outlining. ([Location 692](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=692)) - You’ve found a TED speaker you admire whose pattern you would like to better understand. What metrics might be worth examining? A preliminary list might include: ([Location 760](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=760)) - Jennifer Mueller is a University of San Diego social psychologist whose creativity research reveals an alarming trend: the more novel the idea, the more likely it is to be rejected. Worse, we don’t just quash creative suggestions—we also penalize those who raise them. ([Location 967](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=967)) - The precise origin of taste aside, one thing is for certain: developing an awareness for works that move you is an essential precursor for producing extraordinary work. ([Location 1445](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1445)) - Sturgeon’s contention, which has been immortalized as “Sturgeon’s Law,” can be extrapolated to suggest that within any field, 90 percent of what is produced is garbage. That is, 90 percent of art is forgettable, 90 percent of internet content is underwhelming, and 90 percent of restaurants fail to hit the mark. ([Location 1464](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1464)) - If half of everything you encounter seems absolutely spectacular, chances are, you are not yet sufficiently attuned to what it is that you truly love. ([Location 1468](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1468)) - Twenty-four hours after guests leave a Ritz-Carlton property, they receive an email asking them how likely they are to recommend the hotel to friends and colleagues (a metric market researchers refer to as a “net promoter” score). This, the Ritz-Carlton has discovered, is the holy grail. Score well on this item, and you haven’t just executed a successful stay. You have created a raving fan. ([Location 1518](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1518)) - Responding to explicit requests involves taking questions at face value and fielding them accordingly. What time is check-in? Four p.m. Does the hotel have a coffee shop? Yes, it does. I can’t find my goggles. Have you seen them anywhere? I’m sorry. I have not. All of these responses are perfectly adequate and factually correct. But as any Ritz-Carlton employee will tell you, they neglect valuable opportunities. Addressing unexpressed needs involves thinking about why a question was posed in the first place. What underlying challenge is the guest hoping to solve? ([Location 1523](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1523)) - What time is check-in? Four p.m. Is your flight arriving early? If you’d like, I can help arrange for an early check-in. Does the hotel have a coffee shop? Yes, it does. Would you like me to text you the menu? I can’t find my goggles. Have you seen them anywhere? I have not seen them, Sir. Would you like me to get you a new pair? ([Location 1531](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1531)) - simply asking dieters to record the precise foods they consumed at each meal led them to double their weight loss compared to those who ate the same diet and didn’t track their food consumption. Why does tracking have such a profound effect? Because it prompts dieters to reflect on their food choices and gives them an unvarnished look at their calorie consumption. But it’s not just reflecting back on past choices that’s useful—it’s also the effect tracking has on future decisions. ([Location 1550](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1550)) - Simply put, metrics motivate. They lead to better decisions, greater consistency, fewer distractions, and emotional investment. This is the scoreboard principle: measurement begets improvement. Which is why the first step to improving at anything, whether it be losing weight, acquiring a new skill, or mastering a formula you’ve reverse engineered, begins with relentlessly keeping score. ([Location 1576](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1576)) - Psychologists have a term for the hysteria that swept through the offices of Wells Fargo: surrogation. It occurs when people become so consumed with hitting a number that they forget the outcome that number is intended to promote. The metric becomes a substitute, an end in itself. ([Location 1838](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1838)) - The first best practice is the most obvious: collect multiple metrics. ([Location 1848](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1848)) - The second best practice is to aim for balance in the types of metrics you collect. One example of balance is tracking a combination of behaviors and outcomes. For some, there is a temptation to focus only on behaviors because behaviors are controllable, while outcomes, in many cases, are not. That’s a mistake. The only way to find lead indicators is to record both actions and outcomes and work backward, uncovering hidden drivers. ([Location 1851](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1851)) - Oppenheimer’s research makes a compelling case that increased effort leads to deeper learning. Education expert Robert A. Bjork has a term for this phenomenon: desirable difficulty. Over the past five decades, Bjork has conducted a mountain of studies illuminating the factors that contribute to sustained learning. His findings are unmistakable: we learn best when we’re challenged in ways that stretch the limits of our current abilities. ([Location 1937](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1937)) - To summarize: growth requires strain. A moderate degree of difficulty is essential to both mental and physical development. ([Location 1954](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1954)) - we don’t learn through simple repetition. We learn by attempting something difficult that lies just outside our comfort zone, observing the outcome, and making adjustments. That’s how learning happens. And when we are denied the opportunity to take intelligent risks, the chances of our acquiring new skills shrinks. ([Location 1965](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1965)) - It’s a strategy that enables them to gather quick feedback on new products without cannibalizing their existing line of consumer offerings. In each of these cases, pseudonyms allow companies to experiment with new products and identities without assuming huge risk. But there’s another benefit to leveraging pseudonyms. They can also be used to reintroduce existing products, placing them in a new light, without the baggage of a brand’s existing identity. ([Location 2104](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2104)) - This same principle of reducing risk applies to you. In much the same way as spreading financial resources across a range of offerings mitigates risk, so, too, does investing in a range of professional opportunities. ([Location 2211](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2211)) - Reviewing past events with an eye for insights, patterns, and predictions is how we turn experience into wisdom. ([Location 2434](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2434)) - Expertise frees up the more sophisticated cerebral cortex, allowing us to focus less on our actions and allow our minds to wander. ([Location 2631](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2631)) - Ultimately, what makes cross-training so valuable is that it provides fresh opportunities for novelty, challenge, and growth—which, as we’ve seen, are both essential for learning and increasingly hard to come by as your skills develop. ([Location 2732](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2732)) - But perhaps the biggest challenge posed by the curse of knowledge is the enormous wrench it throws into our ability to learn from experts. Not only are experts incapable of putting themselves in our inexperienced shoes, there’s also evidence that they can’t help but underestimate how long skill acquisition actually takes. ([Location 2830](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2830)) - final barrier to learning from experts: they can’t help communicating in ways that novices find overwhelming. Years of experience have taught them to shrink extraordinarily complicated ideas into time-saving abstractions. ([Location 2860](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2860)) - When talking to experts, three categories of questions are worth considering: journey questions, process questions, and discovery questions. ([Location 2884](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2884)) - Journey questions are designed to achieve two objectives: unearth the experts’ road map for success and remind them of their experience as a novice. Understanding an expert’s path from amateur to professional is likely to give you a strong sense for how you can re-create the process yourself (assuming, of course, that your field hasn’t changed too drastically). Asking experts to reflect on the start of their career is also likely to help them relate more effectively to a novice mind-set, prompting them to offer more helpful suggestions. Questions focused on an expert’s journey can include: What did you read/watch/study to learn your craft? What mistakes did you make at the beginning? What do you wish you had spent less time on that ended up not being very important? What metrics have you learned you need to keep an eye on? ([Location 2885](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2885)) - Process questions get at the nitty-gritty of execution. They’re designed to illuminate the experts’ approach by drilling down on the specific steps they apply to bring their work to life. These answers are especially valuable for reverse engineering because they pull back the curtain to reveal how a complex work is developed. Keep in mind that broad questions about an expert’s approach will likely result in partial information. As we’ve seen, in the mind of an expert, many actions occur automatically, with limited forethought or contemplation. For this reason, it’s important to avoid asking general questions and err on the side of asking for specifics. Questions focused on an expert’s process can include: I’m curious about your process. What do you do first? What’s next? And after that? Where do you get your ideas and strategies? How do you go about planning? What’s your daily routine when you’re in [planning/creating/marketing, etc.] mode? ([Location 2891](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2891)) - Finally, discovery questions focus experts on their initial expectations and invite them to compare those naive beliefs with what they know today. By directing experts’ attention to unexpected revelations, you get them thinking about useful insights they didn’t possess at the very beginning, back when they were in your shoes. Questions focused on an expert’s discoveries may include: Looking back, what was most surprising to you? What do you wish you had known when you first started? What factors turned out to be crucial to success that you weren’t expecting? If you had to do it today, what would you do differently? It’s worth keeping in mind that the answers you collect will differ from expert to expert, and that’s okay. ([Location 2899](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2899)) - Even more important is posing them in a way that gets experts to open up and following up with responses that unveil even more useful information. ([Location 2908](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2908)) - first and foremost is embracing a mind-set of naive curiosity. ([Location 2912](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2912)) - They prioritize questions that are easy to answer and make respondents feel comfortable. ([Location 2918](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2918)) - Elaborators can take the form of “That’s interesting—what makes you say that?” or simply “Say more about that.” Given that experts are prone to speaking in jargon and abstractions, having a few go-to clarifiers handy is likely to prove especially valuable. There are phrases like “Can you say that another way?” and reporter Kate Murphy’s recommended clarifier: “Wait. Back up. I don’t understand.” Keep ([Location 2927](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2927)) - One approach to demystifying experts involves asking for examples. Experts are prone to using abstractions, complex ideas that beginners find vague. The opposite of abstractions is specifics. ([Location 2933](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2933)) - When examples and analogies aren’t enough, you can ask for a demonstration. “Can you show me what you mean?” is often all it takes to prompt an expert to transition from telling to showing. Like examples, demonstrations make the abstract concrete and lead us to generate our own explanations. ([Location 2944](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2944)) - Another technique worth using is one that therapists often wield to help clients feel heard. It’s called a repeat back, and it involves paraphrasing what you’ve heard to confirm your understanding. Saying “Let me see if I have this right” and then restating a complex idea using different words does two things. One, it leads us to process information more deeply. And two, it reveals gaps in our comprehension. ([Location 2949](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2949)) - Toward the end of your discussion, you may choose to insert two questions, both commonly used by investigative reporters: “Is there anything I didn’t ask that I should have?” and “Who else would you recommend I speak with to learn more?” ([Location 2953](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2953)) - To improve, we need feedback that meets a particular set of criteria. We need it to be specific, improvement-focused, reflective of the audience we are trying to reach, and properly timed. ([Location 3093](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3093)) - What can you do to leverage their feedback without feeling defensive, deflated, or overwhelmed? The first strategy is to translate negative feedback into corrective actions. In other words, identify changes you can apply to address the feedback. ([Location 3115](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3115)) - A second strategy is to take a break, step back, and introduce psychological distance between you and your work. When we are immersed in an activity, our focus naturally narrows. We experience tunnel vision, which makes us both defensive and resistant to suggestions that involve additional work. Taking time to reflect on big-picture objectives, beyond the immediate task, promotes long-term thinking and makes us more receptive to criticism. ([Location 3130](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3130)) - Let’s review ten major lessons and identify ways we can all utilize them in everyday life. Become a collector. The first step to achieving greatness is recognizing it in others. When you come across examples that move you, capture them in a way that allows you to revisit, study, and compare them to other items in your collection. When we think of collections, we tend to think of physical objects, like artwork, wine, or stamps. That definition is too limited. Copywriters collect headlines, designers collect logos, consultants collect presentation decks. Tour your collection as you would a private museum that you visit to find inspiration, study the greats, and remind yourself to think big. Spot the difference. To learn from your favorite examples, you need to pinpoint what makes them unique. When you encounter works that resonate with you, make a habit of reflecting on a single question: “What’s different about this example?” By comparing the stellar to the average, you can pinpoint key ingredients that give a work its flavor and identify particular elements that can be incorporated or evolved elsewhere. Think in blueprints. Nearly every example you admire was developed using a blueprint: chefs utilize recipes, writers employ outlines, web designers work off site maps. Instead of attempting to re-create a fully realized work, inject a level of abstraction and draft a high-level outline. By working backward and crafting a blueprint, you will find patterns that demystify complex works. Don’t mimic, evolve. Copying someone else’s wildly successful formula wholesale is the fastest route to being perceived as unoriginal while contributing to a genre’s demise. It also won’t earn you the same results because of the (likely) mismatch between your abilities and the demands of a formula, and because audiences’ expectations evolve with time. Instead, chart your own path by adding new influences, adapting formulas from adjacent fields, or replacing elements you can’t learn with those you naturally perform well. Embrace the vision-ability gap. Studying the masters comes with a price: it raises the bar on the performance you deem necessary to be successful. Chances are, you will not be able to meet these expectations, at least not at first. It’s natural to feel discouraged at this point or consider quitting, but remember: having great taste and a clear vision are strong indicators of potential. Often, simply recognizing that something is not yet great and having the drive and tenacity to revise for as long as it takes is the difference between an amateur and a professional. Keep score selectively. Achieving at a high level is a lot easier when you’re measuring the key elements that drive success. By scoring crucial aspects of your performance, you instantly motivate improvement, become less susceptible to wasted effort, and encourage more mindful decisions. Over the long term, the right metrics can hold you accountable, provide feedback, and reveal… ([Location 3239](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3239)) - A final strategy is to reinterpret the experience of struggle. In Western cultures, struggle is considered a negative experience. It suggests that you’re “not getting it,” an idea that poses all sorts of threats to our sense of competence, intelligence, and self-worth. But people in Eastern cultures view struggle differently. For them, struggle isn’t an indication of inability—it’s a sign that you’re learning. Everyone is expected to struggle, regardless how smart or gifted they may be, because that’s how intellectual advancement comes about. ([Location 3139](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3139))  ## Highlights - Copywork is one method for revealing a hidden formula, but it’s far from the only approach. Another, popular among nonfiction writers, is to leaf through the endnotes section at the back of a book and examine the original sources an author used to construct their piece. ([Location 271](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=271)) - the world’s most popular stories—including those featured in the Bible, literary classics, and blockbuster films—fit neatly into one of six trajectories: Rags to Riches (a rising emotional arc) Riches to Rags (a falling emotional arc) Man in a Hole (a fall followed by a rise) Icarus (a rise followed by a fall) Cinderella (rise, fall, rise) Oedipus (fall, rise, fall) ([Location 291](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=291)) - Business Blueprint Introduce a proven product into a new market POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS: What cuisines, beverages, or desserts are popular near me that I can introduce elsewhere? What physical products are popular near me that I can introduce elsewhere? What services are popular near me that I can introduce elsewhere? Then, of course, there is the flip side of this equation: What cuisines, beverages, or desserts are popular elsewhere that I can introduce near me? What physical products are popular elsewhere that I can introduce near me? What services are popular elsewhere that I can introduce near me? ([Location 399](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=399)) - Given a modest number of variables, we humans do pretty well at detecting patterns. But past a certain level of complexity, our performance sinks. It’s here that computer algorithms blow us out of the water. They have the bandwidth to evaluate an enormous database of features, the capacity to analyze multiple factors at the same time, and the ability to update their predictions in real time as new data are made available. They’re also immune to the unconscious expectations and social pressures that can prevent us from entertaining unconventional predictions. ([Location 585](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=585)) - When we think of a successful dish, we often focus exclusively on a single factor: taste. Watson’s analyses suggest that it’s not taste that makes a dish irresistible—it’s aroma. As it turns out, the scent of roast chicken or a hearty lobster bisque activates receptors in the nose and throat, releasing a cascade of pleasurable endorphins into the bloodstream long before we consume our first bite, sparking delight in ways we fail to register consciously. The second insight gained from Chef Watson’s findings is even more valuable, especially for chefs who are equally adept at crunching data as they are dicing vegetables. It’s that aroma is, at its core, mathematical. You don’t need to go through the trouble of actually cooking a dish to determine if it produces a delightful aroma. All you need to do is fire up Excel and analyze a recipe’s ingredients. Every ingredient contains certain chemicals that lend it its unique fragrance. These are called aromatic compounds. ([Location 594](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=594)) - grilled asparagus with dark chocolate; ([Location 607](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=607)) - Why is collecting outstanding examples so important? Because the first step to achieving mastery is recognizing mastery in others. ([Location 622](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=622)) - Suppose you’ve come across a website from a health guru you vaguely recognize. The landing page is fresh and charming and instantly draws you in. You’re about to register to receive a free giveaway when you pause for a moment. “I don’t usually sign up for newsletters like this,” you think to yourself. “Why exactly am I drawn to this one?” ([Location 648](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=648)) - The first and most obvious question: “How does this landing page differ from other health guru landing pages?” Variations on this question include: What makes this enticing? What can I learn from this? How does this apply to a project I am working on? ([Location 652](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=652)) - What does zooming out mean on a practical level? One example, used in writing, captures this approach perfectly. It’s called reverse outlining. ([Location 692](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=692)) - You’ve found a TED speaker you admire whose pattern you would like to better understand. What metrics might be worth examining? A preliminary list might include: ([Location 760](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=760)) - Jennifer Mueller is a University of San Diego social psychologist whose creativity research reveals an alarming trend: the more novel the idea, the more likely it is to be rejected. Worse, we don’t just quash creative suggestions—we also penalize those who raise them. ([Location 967](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=967)) - The precise origin of taste aside, one thing is for certain: developing an awareness for works that move you is an essential precursor for producing extraordinary work. ([Location 1445](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1445)) - Sturgeon’s contention, which has been immortalized as “Sturgeon’s Law,” can be extrapolated to suggest that within any field, 90 percent of what is produced is garbage. That is, 90 percent of art is forgettable, 90 percent of internet content is underwhelming, and 90 percent of restaurants fail to hit the mark. ([Location 1464](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1464)) - If half of everything you encounter seems absolutely spectacular, chances are, you are not yet sufficiently attuned to what it is that you truly love. ([Location 1468](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1468)) - Twenty-four hours after guests leave a Ritz-Carlton property, they receive an email asking them how likely they are to recommend the hotel to friends and colleagues (a metric market researchers refer to as a “net promoter” score). This, the Ritz-Carlton has discovered, is the holy grail. Score well on this item, and you haven’t just executed a successful stay. You have created a raving fan. ([Location 1518](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1518)) - Responding to explicit requests involves taking questions at face value and fielding them accordingly. What time is check-in? Four p.m. Does the hotel have a coffee shop? Yes, it does. I can’t find my goggles. Have you seen them anywhere? I’m sorry. I have not. All of these responses are perfectly adequate and factually correct. But as any Ritz-Carlton employee will tell you, they neglect valuable opportunities. Addressing unexpressed needs involves thinking about why a question was posed in the first place. What underlying challenge is the guest hoping to solve? ([Location 1523](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1523)) - What time is check-in? Four p.m. Is your flight arriving early? If you’d like, I can help arrange for an early check-in. Does the hotel have a coffee shop? Yes, it does. Would you like me to text you the menu? I can’t find my goggles. Have you seen them anywhere? I have not seen them, Sir. Would you like me to get you a new pair? ([Location 1531](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1531)) - simply asking dieters to record the precise foods they consumed at each meal led them to double their weight loss compared to those who ate the same diet and didn’t track their food consumption. Why does tracking have such a profound effect? Because it prompts dieters to reflect on their food choices and gives them an unvarnished look at their calorie consumption. But it’s not just reflecting back on past choices that’s useful—it’s also the effect tracking has on future decisions. ([Location 1550](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1550)) - Simply put, metrics motivate. They lead to better decisions, greater consistency, fewer distractions, and emotional investment. This is the scoreboard principle: measurement begets improvement. Which is why the first step to improving at anything, whether it be losing weight, acquiring a new skill, or mastering a formula you’ve reverse engineered, begins with relentlessly keeping score. ([Location 1576](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1576)) - Psychologists have a term for the hysteria that swept through the offices of Wells Fargo: surrogation. It occurs when people become so consumed with hitting a number that they forget the outcome that number is intended to promote. The metric becomes a substitute, an end in itself. ([Location 1838](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1838)) - The first best practice is the most obvious: collect multiple metrics. ([Location 1848](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1848)) - The second best practice is to aim for balance in the types of metrics you collect. One example of balance is tracking a combination of behaviors and outcomes. For some, there is a temptation to focus only on behaviors because behaviors are controllable, while outcomes, in many cases, are not. That’s a mistake. The only way to find lead indicators is to record both actions and outcomes and work backward, uncovering hidden drivers. ([Location 1851](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1851)) - Oppenheimer’s research makes a compelling case that increased effort leads to deeper learning. Education expert Robert A. Bjork has a term for this phenomenon: desirable difficulty. Over the past five decades, Bjork has conducted a mountain of studies illuminating the factors that contribute to sustained learning. His findings are unmistakable: we learn best when we’re challenged in ways that stretch the limits of our current abilities. ([Location 1937](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1937)) - To summarize: growth requires strain. A moderate degree of difficulty is essential to both mental and physical development. ([Location 1954](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1954)) - we don’t learn through simple repetition. We learn by attempting something difficult that lies just outside our comfort zone, observing the outcome, and making adjustments. That’s how learning happens. And when we are denied the opportunity to take intelligent risks, the chances of our acquiring new skills shrinks. ([Location 1965](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1965)) - It’s a strategy that enables them to gather quick feedback on new products without cannibalizing their existing line of consumer offerings. In each of these cases, pseudonyms allow companies to experiment with new products and identities without assuming huge risk. But there’s another benefit to leveraging pseudonyms. They can also be used to reintroduce existing products, placing them in a new light, without the baggage of a brand’s existing identity. ([Location 2104](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2104)) - This same principle of reducing risk applies to you. In much the same way as spreading financial resources across a range of offerings mitigates risk, so, too, does investing in a range of professional opportunities. ([Location 2211](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2211)) - Reviewing past events with an eye for insights, patterns, and predictions is how we turn experience into wisdom. ([Location 2434](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2434)) - Expertise frees up the more sophisticated cerebral cortex, allowing us to focus less on our actions and allow our minds to wander. ([Location 2631](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2631)) - Ultimately, what makes cross-training so valuable is that it provides fresh opportunities for novelty, challenge, and growth—which, as we’ve seen, are both essential for learning and increasingly hard to come by as your skills develop. ([Location 2732](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2732)) - But perhaps the biggest challenge posed by the curse of knowledge is the enormous wrench it throws into our ability to learn from experts. Not only are experts incapable of putting themselves in our inexperienced shoes, there’s also evidence that they can’t help but underestimate how long skill acquisition actually takes. ([Location 2830](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2830)) - final barrier to learning from experts: they can’t help communicating in ways that novices find overwhelming. Years of experience have taught them to shrink extraordinarily complicated ideas into time-saving abstractions. ([Location 2860](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2860)) - When talking to experts, three categories of questions are worth considering: journey questions, process questions, and discovery questions. ([Location 2884](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2884)) - Journey questions are designed to achieve two objectives: unearth the experts’ road map for success and remind them of their experience as a novice. Understanding an expert’s path from amateur to professional is likely to give you a strong sense for how you can re-create the process yourself (assuming, of course, that your field hasn’t changed too drastically). Asking experts to reflect on the start of their career is also likely to help them relate more effectively to a novice mind-set, prompting them to offer more helpful suggestions. Questions focused on an expert’s journey can include: What did you read/watch/study to learn your craft? What mistakes did you make at the beginning? What do you wish you had spent less time on that ended up not being very important? What metrics have you learned you need to keep an eye on? ([Location 2885](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2885)) - Process questions get at the nitty-gritty of execution. They’re designed to illuminate the experts’ approach by drilling down on the specific steps they apply to bring their work to life. These answers are especially valuable for reverse engineering because they pull back the curtain to reveal how a complex work is developed. Keep in mind that broad questions about an expert’s approach will likely result in partial information. As we’ve seen, in the mind of an expert, many actions occur automatically, with limited forethought or contemplation. For this reason, it’s important to avoid asking general questions and err on the side of asking for specifics. Questions focused on an expert’s process can include: I’m curious about your process. What do you do first? What’s next? And after that? Where do you get your ideas and strategies? How do you go about planning? What’s your daily routine when you’re in [planning/creating/marketing, etc.] mode? ([Location 2891](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2891)) - Finally, discovery questions focus experts on their initial expectations and invite them to compare those naive beliefs with what they know today. By directing experts’ attention to unexpected revelations, you get them thinking about useful insights they didn’t possess at the very beginning, back when they were in your shoes. Questions focused on an expert’s discoveries may include: Looking back, what was most surprising to you? What do you wish you had known when you first started? What factors turned out to be crucial to success that you weren’t expecting? If you had to do it today, what would you do differently? It’s worth keeping in mind that the answers you collect will differ from expert to expert, and that’s okay. ([Location 2899](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2899)) - Even more important is posing them in a way that gets experts to open up and following up with responses that unveil even more useful information. ([Location 2908](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2908)) - first and foremost is embracing a mind-set of naive curiosity. ([Location 2912](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2912)) - They prioritize questions that are easy to answer and make respondents feel comfortable. ([Location 2918](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2918)) - Elaborators can take the form of “That’s interesting—what makes you say that?” or simply “Say more about that.” Given that experts are prone to speaking in jargon and abstractions, having a few go-to clarifiers handy is likely to prove especially valuable. There are phrases like “Can you say that another way?” and reporter Kate Murphy’s recommended clarifier: “Wait. Back up. I don’t understand.” Keep ([Location 2927](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2927)) - One approach to demystifying experts involves asking for examples. Experts are prone to using abstractions, complex ideas that beginners find vague. The opposite of abstractions is specifics. ([Location 2933](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2933)) - When examples and analogies aren’t enough, you can ask for a demonstration. “Can you show me what you mean?” is often all it takes to prompt an expert to transition from telling to showing. Like examples, demonstrations make the abstract concrete and lead us to generate our own explanations. ([Location 2944](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2944)) - Another technique worth using is one that therapists often wield to help clients feel heard. It’s called a repeat back, and it involves paraphrasing what you’ve heard to confirm your understanding. Saying “Let me see if I have this right” and then restating a complex idea using different words does two things. One, it leads us to process information more deeply. And two, it reveals gaps in our comprehension. ([Location 2949](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2949)) - Toward the end of your discussion, you may choose to insert two questions, both commonly used by investigative reporters: “Is there anything I didn’t ask that I should have?” and “Who else would you recommend I speak with to learn more?” ([Location 2953](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2953)) - To improve, we need feedback that meets a particular set of criteria. We need it to be specific, improvement-focused, reflective of the audience we are trying to reach, and properly timed. ([Location 3093](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3093)) - What can you do to leverage their feedback without feeling defensive, deflated, or overwhelmed? The first strategy is to translate negative feedback into corrective actions. In other words, identify changes you can apply to address the feedback. ([Location 3115](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3115)) - A second strategy is to take a break, step back, and introduce psychological distance between you and your work. When we are immersed in an activity, our focus naturally narrows. We experience tunnel vision, which makes us both defensive and resistant to suggestions that involve additional work. Taking time to reflect on big-picture objectives, beyond the immediate task, promotes long-term thinking and makes us more receptive to criticism. ([Location 3130](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3130)) - A final strategy is to reinterpret the experience of struggle. In Western cultures, struggle is considered a negative experience. It suggests that you’re “not getting it,” an idea that poses all sorts of threats to our sense of competence, intelligence, and self-worth. But people in Eastern cultures view struggle differently. For them, struggle isn’t an indication of inability—it’s a sign that you’re learning. Everyone is expected to struggle, regardless how smart or gifted they may be, because that’s how intellectual advancement comes about. ([Location 3139](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3139)) - Let’s review ten major lessons and identify ways we can all utilize them in everyday life. Become a collector. The first step to achieving greatness is recognizing it in others. When you come across examples that move you, capture them in a way that allows you to revisit, study, and compare them to other items in your collection. When we think of collections, we tend to think of physical objects, like artwork, wine, or stamps. That definition is too limited. Copywriters collect headlines, designers collect logos, consultants collect presentation decks. Tour your collection as you would a private museum that you visit to find inspiration, study the greats, and remind yourself to think big. Spot the difference. To learn from your favorite examples, you need to pinpoint what makes them unique. When you encounter works that resonate with you, make a habit of reflecting on a single question: “What’s different about this example?” By comparing the stellar to the average, you can pinpoint key ingredients that give a work its flavor and identify particular elements that can be incorporated or evolved elsewhere. Think in blueprints. Nearly every example you admire was developed using a blueprint: chefs utilize recipes, writers employ outlines, web designers work off site maps. Instead of attempting to re-create a fully realized work, inject a level of abstraction and draft a high-level outline. By working backward and crafting a blueprint, you will find patterns that demystify complex works. Don’t mimic, evolve. Copying someone else’s wildly successful formula wholesale is the fastest route to being perceived as unoriginal while contributing to a genre’s demise. It also won’t earn you the same results because of the (likely) mismatch between your abilities and the demands of a formula, and because audiences’ expectations evolve with time. Instead, chart your own path by adding new influences, adapting formulas from adjacent fields, or replacing elements you can’t learn with those you naturally perform well. Embrace the vision-ability gap. Studying the masters comes with a price: it raises the bar on the performance you deem necessary to be successful. Chances are, you will not be able to meet these expectations, at least not at first. It’s natural to feel discouraged at this point or consider quitting, but remember: having great taste and a clear vision are strong indicators of potential. Often, simply recognizing that something is not yet great and having the drive and tenacity to revise for as long as it takes is the difference between an amateur and a professional. Keep score selectively. Achieving at a high level is a lot easier when you’re measuring the key elements that drive success. By scoring crucial aspects of your performance, you instantly motivate improvement, become less susceptible to wasted effort, and encourage more mindful decisions. Over the long term, the right metrics can hold you accountable, provide feedback, and reveal… ([Location 3239](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3239))  ## Highlights - Copywork is one method for revealing a hidden formula, but it’s far from the only approach. Another, popular among nonfiction writers, is to leaf through the endnotes section at the back of a book and examine the original sources an author used to construct their piece. ([Location 271](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=271)) - the world’s most popular stories—including those featured in the Bible, literary classics, and blockbuster films—fit neatly into one of six trajectories: Rags to Riches (a rising emotional arc) Riches to Rags (a falling emotional arc) Man in a Hole (a fall followed by a rise) Icarus (a rise followed by a fall) Cinderella (rise, fall, rise) Oedipus (fall, rise, fall) ([Location 291](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=291)) - Business Blueprint Introduce a proven product into a new market POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS: What cuisines, beverages, or desserts are popular near me that I can introduce elsewhere? What physical products are popular near me that I can introduce elsewhere? What services are popular near me that I can introduce elsewhere? Then, of course, there is the flip side of this equation: What cuisines, beverages, or desserts are popular elsewhere that I can introduce near me? What physical products are popular elsewhere that I can introduce near me? What services are popular elsewhere that I can introduce near me? ([Location 399](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=399)) - Given a modest number of variables, we humans do pretty well at detecting patterns. But past a certain level of complexity, our performance sinks. It’s here that computer algorithms blow us out of the water. They have the bandwidth to evaluate an enormous database of features, the capacity to analyze multiple factors at the same time, and the ability to update their predictions in real time as new data are made available. They’re also immune to the unconscious expectations and social pressures that can prevent us from entertaining unconventional predictions. ([Location 585](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=585)) - When we think of a successful dish, we often focus exclusively on a single factor: taste. Watson’s analyses suggest that it’s not taste that makes a dish irresistible—it’s aroma. As it turns out, the scent of roast chicken or a hearty lobster bisque activates receptors in the nose and throat, releasing a cascade of pleasurable endorphins into the bloodstream long before we consume our first bite, sparking delight in ways we fail to register consciously. The second insight gained from Chef Watson’s findings is even more valuable, especially for chefs who are equally adept at crunching data as they are dicing vegetables. It’s that aroma is, at its core, mathematical. You don’t need to go through the trouble of actually cooking a dish to determine if it produces a delightful aroma. All you need to do is fire up Excel and analyze a recipe’s ingredients. Every ingredient contains certain chemicals that lend it its unique fragrance. These are called aromatic compounds. ([Location 594](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=594)) - grilled asparagus with dark chocolate; ([Location 607](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=607)) - Why is collecting outstanding examples so important? Because the first step to achieving mastery is recognizing mastery in others. ([Location 622](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=622)) - Suppose you’ve come across a website from a health guru you vaguely recognize. The landing page is fresh and charming and instantly draws you in. You’re about to register to receive a free giveaway when you pause for a moment. “I don’t usually sign up for newsletters like this,” you think to yourself. “Why exactly am I drawn to this one?” ([Location 648](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=648)) - The first and most obvious question: “How does this landing page differ from other health guru landing pages?” Variations on this question include: What makes this enticing? What can I learn from this? How does this apply to a project I am working on? ([Location 652](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=652)) - What does zooming out mean on a practical level? One example, used in writing, captures this approach perfectly. It’s called reverse outlining. ([Location 692](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=692)) - You’ve found a TED speaker you admire whose pattern you would like to better understand. What metrics might be worth examining? A preliminary list might include: ([Location 760](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=760)) - Jennifer Mueller is a University of San Diego social psychologist whose creativity research reveals an alarming trend: the more novel the idea, the more likely it is to be rejected. Worse, we don’t just quash creative suggestions—we also penalize those who raise them. ([Location 967](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=967)) - The precise origin of taste aside, one thing is for certain: developing an awareness for works that move you is an essential precursor for producing extraordinary work. ([Location 1445](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1445)) - Sturgeon’s contention, which has been immortalized as “Sturgeon’s Law,” can be extrapolated to suggest that within any field, 90 percent of what is produced is garbage. That is, 90 percent of art is forgettable, 90 percent of internet content is underwhelming, and 90 percent of restaurants fail to hit the mark. ([Location 1464](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1464)) - If half of everything you encounter seems absolutely spectacular, chances are, you are not yet sufficiently attuned to what it is that you truly love. ([Location 1468](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1468)) - Twenty-four hours after guests leave a Ritz-Carlton property, they receive an email asking them how likely they are to recommend the hotel to friends and colleagues (a metric market researchers refer to as a “net promoter” score). This, the Ritz-Carlton has discovered, is the holy grail. Score well on this item, and you haven’t just executed a successful stay. You have created a raving fan. ([Location 1518](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1518)) - Responding to explicit requests involves taking questions at face value and fielding them accordingly. What time is check-in? Four p.m. Does the hotel have a coffee shop? Yes, it does. I can’t find my goggles. Have you seen them anywhere? I’m sorry. I have not. All of these responses are perfectly adequate and factually correct. But as any Ritz-Carlton employee will tell you, they neglect valuable opportunities. Addressing unexpressed needs involves thinking about why a question was posed in the first place. What underlying challenge is the guest hoping to solve? ([Location 1523](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1523)) - What time is check-in? Four p.m. Is your flight arriving early? If you’d like, I can help arrange for an early check-in. Does the hotel have a coffee shop? Yes, it does. Would you like me to text you the menu? I can’t find my goggles. Have you seen them anywhere? I have not seen them, Sir. Would you like me to get you a new pair? ([Location 1531](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1531)) - simply asking dieters to record the precise foods they consumed at each meal led them to double their weight loss compared to those who ate the same diet and didn’t track their food consumption. Why does tracking have such a profound effect? Because it prompts dieters to reflect on their food choices and gives them an unvarnished look at their calorie consumption. But it’s not just reflecting back on past choices that’s useful—it’s also the effect tracking has on future decisions. ([Location 1550](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1550)) - Simply put, metrics motivate. They lead to better decisions, greater consistency, fewer distractions, and emotional investment. This is the scoreboard principle: measurement begets improvement. Which is why the first step to improving at anything, whether it be losing weight, acquiring a new skill, or mastering a formula you’ve reverse engineered, begins with relentlessly keeping score. ([Location 1576](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1576)) - Psychologists have a term for the hysteria that swept through the offices of Wells Fargo: surrogation. It occurs when people become so consumed with hitting a number that they forget the outcome that number is intended to promote. The metric becomes a substitute, an end in itself. ([Location 1838](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1838)) - The first best practice is the most obvious: collect multiple metrics. ([Location 1848](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1848)) - The second best practice is to aim for balance in the types of metrics you collect. One example of balance is tracking a combination of behaviors and outcomes. For some, there is a temptation to focus only on behaviors because behaviors are controllable, while outcomes, in many cases, are not. That’s a mistake. The only way to find lead indicators is to record both actions and outcomes and work backward, uncovering hidden drivers. ([Location 1851](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1851)) - Oppenheimer’s research makes a compelling case that increased effort leads to deeper learning. Education expert Robert A. Bjork has a term for this phenomenon: desirable difficulty. Over the past five decades, Bjork has conducted a mountain of studies illuminating the factors that contribute to sustained learning. His findings are unmistakable: we learn best when we’re challenged in ways that stretch the limits of our current abilities. ([Location 1937](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1937)) - To summarize: growth requires strain. A moderate degree of difficulty is essential to both mental and physical development. ([Location 1954](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1954)) - we don’t learn through simple repetition. We learn by attempting something difficult that lies just outside our comfort zone, observing the outcome, and making adjustments. That’s how learning happens. And when we are denied the opportunity to take intelligent risks, the chances of our acquiring new skills shrinks. ([Location 1965](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=1965)) - It’s a strategy that enables them to gather quick feedback on new products without cannibalizing their existing line of consumer offerings. In each of these cases, pseudonyms allow companies to experiment with new products and identities without assuming huge risk. But there’s another benefit to leveraging pseudonyms. They can also be used to reintroduce existing products, placing them in a new light, without the baggage of a brand’s existing identity. ([Location 2104](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2104)) - This same principle of reducing risk applies to you. In much the same way as spreading financial resources across a range of offerings mitigates risk, so, too, does investing in a range of professional opportunities. ([Location 2211](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2211)) - Reviewing past events with an eye for insights, patterns, and predictions is how we turn experience into wisdom. ([Location 2434](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2434)) - Expertise frees up the more sophisticated cerebral cortex, allowing us to focus less on our actions and allow our minds to wander. ([Location 2631](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2631)) - Ultimately, what makes cross-training so valuable is that it provides fresh opportunities for novelty, challenge, and growth—which, as we’ve seen, are both essential for learning and increasingly hard to come by as your skills develop. ([Location 2732](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2732)) - But perhaps the biggest challenge posed by the curse of knowledge is the enormous wrench it throws into our ability to learn from experts. Not only are experts incapable of putting themselves in our inexperienced shoes, there’s also evidence that they can’t help but underestimate how long skill acquisition actually takes. ([Location 2830](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2830)) - final barrier to learning from experts: they can’t help communicating in ways that novices find overwhelming. Years of experience have taught them to shrink extraordinarily complicated ideas into time-saving abstractions. ([Location 2860](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2860)) - When talking to experts, three categories of questions are worth considering: journey questions, process questions, and discovery questions. ([Location 2884](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2884)) - Journey questions are designed to achieve two objectives: unearth the experts’ road map for success and remind them of their experience as a novice. Understanding an expert’s path from amateur to professional is likely to give you a strong sense for how you can re-create the process yourself (assuming, of course, that your field hasn’t changed too drastically). Asking experts to reflect on the start of their career is also likely to help them relate more effectively to a novice mind-set, prompting them to offer more helpful suggestions. Questions focused on an expert’s journey can include: What did you read/watch/study to learn your craft? What mistakes did you make at the beginning? What do you wish you had spent less time on that ended up not being very important? What metrics have you learned you need to keep an eye on? ([Location 2885](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2885)) - Process questions get at the nitty-gritty of execution. They’re designed to illuminate the experts’ approach by drilling down on the specific steps they apply to bring their work to life. These answers are especially valuable for reverse engineering because they pull back the curtain to reveal how a complex work is developed. Keep in mind that broad questions about an expert’s approach will likely result in partial information. As we’ve seen, in the mind of an expert, many actions occur automatically, with limited forethought or contemplation. For this reason, it’s important to avoid asking general questions and err on the side of asking for specifics. Questions focused on an expert’s process can include: I’m curious about your process. What do you do first? What’s next? And after that? Where do you get your ideas and strategies? How do you go about planning? What’s your daily routine when you’re in [planning/creating/marketing, etc.] mode? ([Location 2891](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2891)) - Finally, discovery questions focus experts on their initial expectations and invite them to compare those naive beliefs with what they know today. By directing experts’ attention to unexpected revelations, you get them thinking about useful insights they didn’t possess at the very beginning, back when they were in your shoes. Questions focused on an expert’s discoveries may include: Looking back, what was most surprising to you? What do you wish you had known when you first started? What factors turned out to be crucial to success that you weren’t expecting? If you had to do it today, what would you do differently? It’s worth keeping in mind that the answers you collect will differ from expert to expert, and that’s okay. ([Location 2899](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2899)) - Even more important is posing them in a way that gets experts to open up and following up with responses that unveil even more useful information. ([Location 2908](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2908)) - first and foremost is embracing a mind-set of naive curiosity. ([Location 2912](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2912)) - They prioritize questions that are easy to answer and make respondents feel comfortable. ([Location 2918](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2918)) - Elaborators can take the form of “That’s interesting—what makes you say that?” or simply “Say more about that.” Given that experts are prone to speaking in jargon and abstractions, having a few go-to clarifiers handy is likely to prove especially valuable. There are phrases like “Can you say that another way?” and reporter Kate Murphy’s recommended clarifier: “Wait. Back up. I don’t understand.” Keep ([Location 2927](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2927)) - One approach to demystifying experts involves asking for examples. Experts are prone to using abstractions, complex ideas that beginners find vague. The opposite of abstractions is specifics. ([Location 2933](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2933)) - When examples and analogies aren’t enough, you can ask for a demonstration. “Can you show me what you mean?” is often all it takes to prompt an expert to transition from telling to showing. Like examples, demonstrations make the abstract concrete and lead us to generate our own explanations. ([Location 2944](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2944)) - Another technique worth using is one that therapists often wield to help clients feel heard. It’s called a repeat back, and it involves paraphrasing what you’ve heard to confirm your understanding. Saying “Let me see if I have this right” and then restating a complex idea using different words does two things. One, it leads us to process information more deeply. And two, it reveals gaps in our comprehension. ([Location 2949](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2949)) - Toward the end of your discussion, you may choose to insert two questions, both commonly used by investigative reporters: “Is there anything I didn’t ask that I should have?” and “Who else would you recommend I speak with to learn more?” ([Location 2953](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=2953)) - To improve, we need feedback that meets a particular set of criteria. We need it to be specific, improvement-focused, reflective of the audience we are trying to reach, and properly timed. ([Location 3093](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3093)) - What can you do to leverage their feedback without feeling defensive, deflated, or overwhelmed? The first strategy is to translate negative feedback into corrective actions. In other words, identify changes you can apply to address the feedback. ([Location 3115](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3115)) - A second strategy is to take a break, step back, and introduce psychological distance between you and your work. When we are immersed in an activity, our focus naturally narrows. We experience tunnel vision, which makes us both defensive and resistant to suggestions that involve additional work. Taking time to reflect on big-picture objectives, beyond the immediate task, promotes long-term thinking and makes us more receptive to criticism. ([Location 3130](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3130)) - A final strategy is to reinterpret the experience of struggle. In Western cultures, struggle is considered a negative experience. It suggests that you’re “not getting it,” an idea that poses all sorts of threats to our sense of competence, intelligence, and self-worth. But people in Eastern cultures view struggle differently. For them, struggle isn’t an indication of inability—it’s a sign that you’re learning. Everyone is expected to struggle, regardless how smart or gifted they may be, because that’s how intellectual advancement comes about. ([Location 3139](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3139)) - Let’s review ten major lessons and identify ways we can all utilize them in everyday life. Become a collector. The first step to achieving greatness is recognizing it in others. When you come across examples that move you, capture them in a way that allows you to revisit, study, and compare them to other items in your collection. When we think of collections, we tend to think of physical objects, like artwork, wine, or stamps. That definition is too limited. Copywriters collect headlines, designers collect logos, consultants collect presentation decks. Tour your collection as you would a private museum that you visit to find inspiration, study the greats, and remind yourself to think big. Spot the difference. To learn from your favorite examples, you need to pinpoint what makes them unique. When you encounter works that resonate with you, make a habit of reflecting on a single question: “What’s different about this example?” By comparing the stellar to the average, you can pinpoint key ingredients that give a work its flavor and identify particular elements that can be incorporated or evolved elsewhere. Think in blueprints. Nearly every example you admire was developed using a blueprint: chefs utilize recipes, writers employ outlines, web designers work off site maps. Instead of attempting to re-create a fully realized work, inject a level of abstraction and draft a high-level outline. By working backward and crafting a blueprint, you will find patterns that demystify complex works. Don’t mimic, evolve. Copying someone else’s wildly successful formula wholesale is the fastest route to being perceived as unoriginal while contributing to a genre’s demise. It also won’t earn you the same results because of the (likely) mismatch between your abilities and the demands of a formula, and because audiences’ expectations evolve with time. Instead, chart your own path by adding new influences, adapting formulas from adjacent fields, or replacing elements you can’t learn with those you naturally perform well. Embrace the vision-ability gap. Studying the masters comes with a price: it raises the bar on the performance you deem necessary to be successful. Chances are, you will not be able to meet these expectations, at least not at first. It’s natural to feel discouraged at this point or consider quitting, but remember: having great taste and a clear vision are strong indicators of potential. Often, simply recognizing that something is not yet great and having the drive and tenacity to revise for as long as it takes is the difference between an amateur and a professional. Keep score selectively. Achieving at a high level is a lot easier when you’re measuring the key elements that drive success. By scoring crucial aspects of your performance, you instantly motivate improvement, become less susceptible to wasted effort, and encourage more mindful decisions. Over the long term, the right metrics can hold you accountable, provide feedback, and reveal… ([Location 3239](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BZW5BJ9&location=3239))