People aren't made for mediocrity. It's why we climb mountains, make art, and compete for medals. And it's why we love athletes, chefs, artists, and musicians — because they remind us of our potential.

Our best self isn't a destination. It's a direction we move toward with intention.

Easy to say. Everything that matters can be summed up in a few words we've all heard: Be kind. Work hard. Exercise. Breathe. Knowing isn't the hard part.

Hard to do. Doing these simple things regularly is what's incredibly difficult. That's because changing behavior means changing how we think and act. That takes intention and practice — and those are critical skills that are required alongside any other skill you want to develop.

Life skills shouldn't require luck. The skills that matter most are the stories we tell, and the attention we pay. School teaches kids to be conventionally good at conventional things; acquiring these skills feels like luck. But you can learn, practice, and improve them.

Deciding is the last frontier. AI has made knowledge free, and increasingly does our work for us. But the one thing that can't be outsourced is deciding what we want, and changing our behavior to get there.

Five tools shape behavior. Behavioral scientists agree that People, Places, and Things shape our behavior. Today, "Things" means your devices, feed, and your habits. So I believe there are five areas of your life that influence your behavior:

• People
• Technology
• Information
• Places
• Activities

Intentional technology. Most tech — especially if it's free — is built to capture your attention, not serve your intention. That's how a tool becomes a weapon. Intentional technology does the reverse: it serves one of your intentions and takes minutes, not hours. Technology is one of the five tools; this is the kind I build.

Lasting change doesn't happen alone. From sports to congregations to Alcoholics Anonymous, lasting behavior change is social, and your peers keep you going. Belonging isn't the reward. It's the mechanism. So intentional technology has to be social, too.

Build with people. Each of us holds insights no one else has, and finding them — in yourself and in others — is where new ideas come from. Plus, it makes life more fun. So I don't just want to build social products; I want to build with people, too.

Products exist to solve pain. I start with my own, look for a solution, then try it out. If it works, I find who else needs it.

Risk / reward. This is how I justify the obvious risk of starting something; even if I'm the only user it ever gets, it was still worth building.

Everything is connected. I don't believe in coincidence, so I see links everywhere — and that's where non-obvious ideas come from. Most great ideas are crazy… until they happen.

Write your story. Write down what you believe will happen, and why… no matter how crazy it sounds. The stories you choose to believe — no matter how crazy they are — become who you are, what you do, and how you live.

Things that work feel easier. So spend your hard work where you have an edge — on what comes easier to you than to others.

Explore, then exploit. Try many small things to see what works. When something does, double down. You're judged by your hits, not your failures.

Entrepreneurship is two jobs: make stuff, and tell people about it. Most people are stronger at one or the other (I like to build).

You have to do both. If it's your idea, you can't hand off either side. The good news is AI can help on whatever side you're weaker.

*this is where I need to get much better, quickly

Learn out loud. Finding solutions means gathering research and insights. The more you share, the more you'll find good people — and better answers.

Marketing is really finding your people. At the start, you're just looking for the people who understand what you're doing. They share your pain and want your solution, which makes them your support as much as your market.

True — Does it obviously fit my worldview?

Urgent — Is this a pain I have today, in my own life?

Free — Would I build it for free, even as its only user?

Unfair — Do my interest and experience give me an unfair advantage?

Compounding — Does working on this strengthen my other projects and interests?

Equipped — Do I either have the skills to pull it off, or want to learn them?

Close — Do I know the people who can help, or can I find them easily?

Excellent — Are they hardworking, driven, and uniquely expert?

Fun — Will I actually want to spend time with them?

• Is it easy?
• Is it fast?
• Is it fun?

• Does it actually change behavior?
• Is the change obvious to the user?
• Can we measure the change?

• Why — and how — do people share?
• Why — and how — do friends make it better?
• Is there a natural community or lifestyle around the project?