1. Rethinking idea generation
If the next decade is a “building decade”, how should ideas be generated?
Initially, I categorized ideas by source:
- ideas I think of myself
- ideas I copy
- ideas I “steal”
But this framing turned out to be less useful than another dimension:
whether an idea is worth exploration at all.
2. What makes an idea worth exploring
An idea is worth entering the next phase of exploration if it satisfies at least some of the following:
2.1 Friction signals
A problem that repeatedly causes friction in real life.
Example:
- Long hours in front of a screen → physical discomfort
This recurring friction itself is a valid signal.
The key is repetition: if the same pain shows up again and again, it deserves attention.
2.2 Leverage (asymmetric advantage)
Leverage comes from non-symmetric personal advantages.
In my case, leverage exists at the intersection of:
- health-related scenarios
- algorithm development
- understanding of hardware constraints
This makes certain directions more strategic than others.
A concrete example:
- Apple Watch as a platform
New sensors, new data, new populations → new unmet needs
Because of my background, this direction offers real leverage rather than generic competition.
2.3 Timing
Timing is tied to:
- shifts in user needs
- demographic changes
- platform and capability transitions
Even a good idea with friction and leverage may fail if the timing is off.
3. The pre-commitment rule before building
Before building anything, a clear framework must be defined. This includes:
Time commitment:
- How long will I build?
- 7 days? 1 month?
Success criteria:
- What concrete signals indicate success?
Failure criteria:
- Under what conditions should the project be killed?
4. Build is surprisingly similar to invest
The more I think about it, the more building resembles investing.
The similarity lies in pre-commitment:
- defining goals before action
- defining success and failure in advance
In investing, many failures happened not because the asset was bad, but because the investment thesis was never clearly defined.
Questions that must be answered before investing:
- What return am I aiming for?
- Under what conditions do I exit?
- What outcome counts as success or failure?
If these cannot be filled out, the investment is probably flawed.
The same logic applies to building.
5. Build and invest as two long-term tracks
Both build and invest belong to long-term value accumulation.
They share a common pattern: small, continuous, incremental accumulation.
In investing:
- i.e., diversified dollar-cost averaging
In building:
- daily small experiments
- continuous iteration
- accumulating momentum until a qualitative shift happens
The key is persistence:
- keep pushing
- keep practicing
- keep getting feedback quickly
Often, real gains are only visible when looking back after a long period.
6. How build and invest hedge each other
Although similar, build and invest reward opposite behaviors.
Invest
- rewards inaction
- the market often rewards not doing anything
- as Charlie Munger said: sometimes “not moving” is the correct move
- passive > active
Build
- rewards action
- the more you try within a unit of time, the higher the chance of success
- active experimentation is directly rewarded
Because of this, build and invest hedge each other psychologically and behaviorally.
7. Work vs Invest vs Build
There are three broad modes of effort:
Work
- lowest long-term leverage
- linear returns
- increasingly feels unsustainable
Invest
- high leverage
- rewards patience and discipline
- but limited upside for individual action beyond diversification
Build
- high leverage
- rewards initiative and experimentation
- but requires a long runway
Long-term, core energy should shift away from Work, and be concentrated on Invest + Build.
Takeaways
- Idea quality matters less than whether it is worth exploration
- Friction, leverage, and timing are stronger filters than idea origin
- Build requires pre-commitment just like investing
- Build rewards action; invest rewards restraint
- Long-term energy should move toward Build + Invest