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- RICH IN LUCK
“In 1,000 parallel universes, you want to be wealthy in 999 of them. You don’t want to be wealthy in the 50 of them where you got lucky.” — Naval Ravikant
CONTEXT
☝️ I can’t stop thinking about that quote.
Here’s why.
When most people think of luck, we’re usually thinking of “blind luck.” Like, pure chance. (Where you were born, who your parents are, having good genes, etc.)
That kind of luck is 100% out of your control.
But! There are 3 other types of luck that you can control. (Seriously.)
They’re from this great book called Chase, Chance, and Creativity by Dr. James Austin. (His theory of the “4 kinds of luck” became virally popular with entrepreneurs and creators, thanks to these 2 blog posts by Mark Andreessen and Naval Ravikant.)
Here are 3 specific ways to increase your “luck surface area.” (h/t Jason Roberts)
THE 3 WAYS
Type 1: Luck from Hustle
This luck comes from persistence, hard work, and a bias towards action.
Example: A salesperson emails hundreds of prospects so that a few will respond and buy.
How?
Say yes to more things. Introduce yourself to new people. Set “outreach quotas” for yourself. Brainstorm tons of ideas before landing on one.
Don’t wait for “the perfect time.” Make 10 calls in the hopes of getting 1 good lead.
—
Type 2: Luck from Preparation
If you’re super experienced in a field, you’ll spot when a lucky break happens (far more quickly than anyone else does). Other people won’t even see the opportunity.
Example: A venture capitalist invests early in a startup that becomes a unicorn. All the investors who passed on it become super jealous.
How?
Choose a niche you enjoy enough to become better than 90% of people at.
Get 1% better at it every single day. The more focus you put into that skill, the more likely you are to predict “lucky breaks.”
—
Type 3: Luck from Uniqueness
Ok, this is the hardest form of luck. Because you need to become world-class in a specific niche. But once you establish that? Luck will start to find you.
Example: A podcast host becomes so well-known and respected that dream guests ask to be on the show.
How?
Post on social media (like LinkedIn) consistently. Write what you know your target audience is interested in reading
Get coaching from someone who has done it 😉
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Blind luck might be out of your control. But the other three are up to you:
Hustle to create opportunities. Treat it like a numbers game.
Deepen your expertise until you spot opportunities that others miss.
Build a unique and valuable brand so opportunities seek YOU out.
(Btw, if you haven’t read The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, you’re missing out. It’s the best book on wealth and happiness I’ve come across. And I can’t believe he’s giving away a free PDF of the whole book here.)
Until next week,
Jade
P.S. Want to learn more about the 3rd type of luck? (And grow your brand on LinkedIn?) I have good news. I’m teaching exactly how I grew from 1k to ~350k followers in 1.5 years. Learn more about my 3-month, private membership club for LinkedIn thought leaders at JoinArchimedes.com. (We sold out of memberships in a few days. But I highly recommend adding yourself to the waitlist so you’re the first to know as soon as spots open up again.)