parents: Writing Philosophy
When I write, I’m not just sharing ideas; I’m trying to craft thinking tools. I believe a piece of writing is valuable only if it gives the reader a cognitive breakthrough or real, actionable guidance.
To do this, I focus on two main approaches:
“How-To” Guide
My goal here is to create something a reader can use to solve a concrete problem. Think of a practical tool, like a self-checklist for spotting symptoms of depression. If they can apply it, it’s a success.
Mental Model
I also try to turn specific insights into simple mental models. The standard is whether someone can use the model to make sense of what’s happening around them. Paul Graham’s “Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule” is a perfect example of what I’m aiming for.
Other approaches include checklist, datasets, benchmarks, reference slide decks.