Craft First, Ambition Second

Howdy from the Outer Banks,

I’m taking a van trip before starting a new role in 2 weeks 👀 .

Photos from where I wrote this newsletter are included down below.

But first, let’s jump into what Andrew Huberman recently taught me.

Craft first, ambition second.

Andrew Huberman, Stanford Neurobiologist, recorded a conversation with Peter Attia, Stanford-educated MD.

Both are podcasters in the health and well-being spaces, but this conversation had less to do with science and was more about Andrew Huberman’s life story.

Huberman talked about his upbringing, the mentors in his life, and how he found his purpose.

There was one specific section that stuck out to me: how Huberman doesn’t value ambition alone.

He gravitates towards people who appreciate their craft first and are ambitious second.

Here’s what he had to say:

Meet Ben Barres: the mentor that taught Andrew Huberman these priorities.

Ben Barres was a Stanford neuroscientist that mentored Andrew Huberman.

When talking about Barres, Huberman said: “Ben just loved what he was doing so much. When he started working on glia [cells], everyone thought glia were stupid.”

Ben pressed on, ignoring the critiques of people in his field. Eventually, Barres made major discoveries with respect to glia and their impact upon disease, brain function, and brain development.

“So Ben was the one who really encouraged me to stay in touch with that kind of feeling around doing things and to never let ambition pull you in a direction where you were divorced from that for too long,” Huberman went on to say.

“And yet Ben was a really hard worker, but he understood what Rick Rubin would call ‘The Source.’ That’s the ability to stay working long hours and not feel like you’re depleting yourself,” Huberman concluded.

Craft first. Ambition second.

The state of my ambition.

Huberman’s principle of craft first, ambition second perfectly aligns with some of my reflections on my career last week:

“I want to be ambitious, but I need to serve. To do so, I need to be a part of a larger mission in designing ethical tech.”

“Reading + writing about philosophy and theology with respect to tech…that’s a spiritual experience for me that I can’t get enough of.”

“If the failed startup taught me one thing, it’s that dollars alone do not keep me motivated.”

Regarding the last quote, we got to a point with Feather where I knew our product was inferior. It became clear that larger companies would satisfy our use case, and I had no interest in marketing an inferior product for the sake of money. That’s when I knew it was time to shut it down.

My aimless ambition is waning, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to work hard. It means that I want to contribute to something that matters.

This topic brought me back to my conversation with Gregg Vanourek from a few years back.

Folks who love their craft are rare.

So, at the end of the day, what does matter? My answer: art. The way we craft new perspectives and express passion through words, images, and movements with joy.

Can anyone be an artist? Yes.

Do you have to be a scientist at Stanford to love your craft? No.

Heck, I got my oil changed ~3 months back. This guy was SO passionate about performing the oil change and offering top tier service that I couldn’t help but feel the guy’s excitement.

When the bill came around, I was so dang happy to settle up. This guy earned it. It wasn’t in an over-the-top way either. You just knew that the guy loved what he did, and you wanted to be a part of it. You wanted to come back.

5,000 miles later, I had to take my van in for another oil change. I tried going back to my guy who loves his craft.

When I showed up, another technician was working that day. They didn’t share the same infectious enthusiasm that my previous guy did.

They tried to sell me a couple of overpriced items that I didn’t need. It felt like ambition first, craft second. I turned down the additional items, got my oil changed, and settled the bill.

The experience was fine. I got what I needed, but it was purely a transaction - nothing more, nothing less. I’m uncertain if I’ll go back again.

Why?

You can facilitate transactions with ambitious folks anywhere, so price point is the only differentiation.

An enthusiastic experience with someone who loves their craft first and works hard second is much more rare. That’s how artists differentiate themselves and keep you engaged.

Bottom line: if changing oil can become a craft, then anything can. Prioritize craft first, pair it with ambition, and the rest will take care of itself.

What I’m Paying Attention To:

This guy spent a full year creating a video on the scale of the Milky Way. It’s incredible.

Photos of The Week

Thanks for reading

What’s your craft?

Reply and let me know,

Josh

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