Building Knowledge Assets

parents: Writing

form: Principles

---

I see myself as a one-person company. My core business is not producing content, but building cumulative knowledge assets. My products include newsletter, knowledge base, and books.

Why

1. True Goal＞By-Products
   • True goal: Answer questions I am genuinely curious about.
     • When I follow my curiosity, I stay motivated, handle hard work better, and do higher-quality work.
   • By-products: Personal branding (IP), authority, influence, or recognition.
2. Knowledge assets compounds in value over time.
3. Evergreen questions matter for years, not days.

What is high-value knowledge assets?

• Valuable
  • Important
  • Fresh
  • Lasting
• Artifacts＞Opinions
• Galaxy＞Sandbox
  • Create a connected “galaxy” of ideas with pillar topics supported by clusters of related notes.

How

1. Play the long-term, high-leverage game
   • High leverage: Deep research in a field; integrating ideas across fields to create new insights.
   • Low leverage: Chasing trends; reposting others’ opinions.
   • Always choose the former.
2. Think around good questions
   • Center thinking and writing on meaningful, well-chosen questions.
   • Avoid aimless reading or shallow “fake work.”
3. Read for depth
   • Choose foundational books over short-lived articles.
4. Test my ideas
   • Seek out intelligent opposing views to challenge and refine my thinking.
5. Explain simply
   • Use the Feynman method to explain ideas in plain language to people outside my field.
6. Build tools, not trends
   • Craft thinking tools and grow my knowledge base, rather than writing short-lived content.

Checklist

每次启动新项目时自问

• 我是在回答一个好问题，还是在追一个模糊的主题？
• 我是在创造新的洞察，还是在转述已有信息？
• 这个项目是在构建一项长期资产，还是一个短期消耗品？
• 这项工作是在发挥我独特的判断力，还是在做可被替代的劳动？
• 我是在优化思想以接近真相，还是在优化内容以适应平台？
• 我的产出是一个“读物”还是一个“工具”？
• 读者看完后，是仅仅感到“学到了”，还是知道“下一步该做什么了”？
• 这个思想模型能否被压缩成一句格言？它能否应用到游戏之外的领域？