Move Fast and Break Yourself

The phrase “move fast and break things” is true. When I’m in the gym, it translates to: move fast and break yourself.

Our culture rewards speed, thriftiness, and competition. Get to the finish line faster than anyone else — and in one piece — and you will get a reward.

But the world is more interesting than that.

Success doesn’t boil down to a single rule.

There are too many variables, too many forces, and too many people for one rule to decide who wins.

What if you’re not built for speed? Or what if you lack the tools or the resources to move fast?

Iteration is important. It’s evolution incarnate.

But insight is better.

A shotgun fired enough times will eventually hit something. Iteration without direction is wasteful.

Insight gives you the map to the treasure.

It took Einstein nearly a decade of deep thinking to revolutionize the world.

If you can’t outrun the fastest, sit longer. Stay with the problem longer. Avoid speed at all costs.

Sharpen your insight. See deeper than everyone else. Think in 4K.

If you can’t move fast, don’t.

Remember the tortoise.