CREATING ASSETS FROM NOTHING
“paint futures. manage impressions. build stacks. go where energy is.”
The Lesson
You can create valuable assets from nothing but effort: (1) Hyperbole. Paint a compelling future and people treat it as real. (2) First impressions. They're sticky, so make them count. (3) Wingman. Get someone else to brag about you. (4) Credible threats. If people believe consequences, the threat is an asset. (5) Talent stack. Learn complementary skills for free. (6) Reciprocity. Do favors and goodwill accumulates. (7) Location. Go where energy is and luck finds you. Also: failure toughens you (free), fitness makes you attractive (free bonus), vision/reality distortion creates belief. All these turn effort into intangible assets that act real.
Real-World Example
A founder has no money, no network. They create assets: Paint a big vision (hyperbole). Dress sharp for every meeting (first impression). Find one believer who introduces them glowingly (wingman). Learn sales + coding + design (talent stack). Help other founders for free (reciprocity). Move to SF (energy). Two years later they have reputation, network, skills, luck-all created from nothing but effort.
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