Paul Millerd Quotes

I’m that weird guy that invests the difference between rent and what I’d spend on a house and uses it to buy freedom and less hassle

the greatest thing about going through a health crisis at 27 was realizing im not special, there are no special jobs, no special work, and eventually we all have health challenges and just want a good cup of coffee with a friend

We are at the beginning of infinity of everything. This is why exploring ideas is beautiful. Not to build an audience, not to become successful. But simply to push that frontier.

the problem with most self-help writing is it assumes we can lead our life through rational frameworks & ideas

but emotions and passion lead our lives. to deny this invites all sorts of illness and eventual heartbreak

this is also why its more popular!

Retiring early is silly. No amount of money will save you.

Retire from bad work as fast as possible to do stuff you care about. Create. Parent. Play. Travel. Learn. Build.

More people should listen to FIRE people. But mostly the ones that already retired and figured this out

Many men are just one week of literally not working away from a happy life

How to have original ideas:

1. Read lots at a young age. Start to see that many different people can formulate convincing ideas

2. Become cynical

3. Start to create/write, realize how hard it is to know what the hell you actually think anyway

4. Keep creating/writing. Copy other ideas, repurpose other peoples ideas

5. Become data literate. Realize how deep you can go with data. Realize the fallibility of surveys and other opinion polling. Realize how people will use this stuff in bad faith.

6. Try to formulate arguments without using references. Damn, realize its easier to repackage other peoples ideas than come up with your own

7. Humbly continue creating/writing. Realize it may never get easier. Keep at it. Get in reps. Find a working mode that you can sustain. Embrace the cringe (you will always feel a bit silly when you publish / share)

8. Read other people writing about similar topics. Realize you dislike some of their arguments and frames. Channel your disappointment into their work into your own commitment creating. Commit to nemeses in your head that you will never cede victory too

9. When people try to pay you to package your creations, deny them. If you accept their money fight for your ideas, no matter what. Don't compromise.

10. Keep going. Just make stuff up. Go for walks. Let things pop into your head. You might have a following now but screw them. You shall not be captured. Share ideas that make you uncomfortable because they are interesting to you. Dare to be unfollowed.

11. Talk to people along the way. Share your ideas in conversation. Find a handful of people that will nudge you if you are about to be captured or seem to be becoming cynical. Pay attention. Reset.

12. Keep going. Refuse to treat "what works" as a worthwhile pathway for creating things. Don't join any peer group where "what works" is a north star.

13. When people call you a genius reflect back on all the things you said that you know no one paid attention to. Reflect on your role in a long line of other people who's ideas let to yours

14. Ponder that you might never create anything original

15. Sit with that. Keep going.

if you stare closely at your complaints you see the seeds of what you care about

the courage to be disliked is just publishing a book

Some people think I have it figured out

I don’t. Quite uncertain about this path the next few years. Not sure if things will work.

But I will just keep trying stuff and seeing where it takes me.

The big shift I have made is not seeing uncertainty as a problem to be solved.

I quit before being financially free

It is definitely harder. It would have been smart to go try to work in big tech for a couple of years. Cash in. More runway

But not a day goes by where I wish I didn’t leave a lot earlier, while healthier and younger.

You don’t need to be afraid of
Being mediocre
Not living out your potential
Not hitting MRR goals

You should be afraid of going down someone’s course funnel too far toward the high ticket upsell

every tweet is a gift to a fellow hypercurious very online nerd who wants to dance in the frontier of your conversation

the most interesting people keep on tinkering in similar ways with money

the burnout after getting rich is a sad modern phenomenon, more a symptom of selling life away too cheap

Everyone faces a fork in the road

Surrender to your interests or surrender to the market