Howdy from Wilmington,

Welcome to the 7 new subscribers from last week.

I’m doin’ a little van expedition along the coast of the Carolinas.

Did someone say mobile hotspot and writing in a converted Ford E-150 by the beach?

Publishing a weekly article is like chiseling away at a slab of marble.

Somewhere beneath the dense rock lies who you truly are - your values, interests, and principles.

Not a job description. Not a defined career path. Not a declared major.

Just who you are and what you like - simple yet elusive truths that can only be unveiled through deep, consistent introspection via pen/paper & keyboard/monitor.

I’ve previously written a piece on my values - loving deeply, serving joyfully, and exploring valiantly.

Plus, my body of work illuminates my interests: AI, ethics, and education.

(With a bit of tiny architecture and governance mixed in too).

But, I haven’t taken the time to uncover the underlying “principles” behind my writing.

Until now.

The idea of “thinking from first principles” has become increasingly popular in the startup and investing world.

What thinking from first principles means: breaking a complex problem or idea into its fundamental elements AND (key part here) *building* up a solution or understanding from scratch.

You don’t pontificate simply to pontificate. You think through problems to develop solutions (or, at the very least, a greater sense of understanding).

First principles when posed as a question: how would you explain this to a 10 year old who has no previous knowledge about this subject?

No room for buzzwords or jargon. Only room for simple, bare truths.

What are the underlying principles of my writing to date?

1. Technology scales faster than we think.

2. Sound decision making = open discussion + effective communication.

That’s it. You just caught up on 60+ editions of The Build in 2 sentences.

Well, sort of. Sure, those 2 principles apply.

But something’s missing here - the building component.

To quote the words of another one of my favorite writers, Derek Thompson: “America has too much venting, and too little inventing.”

In other words, talk is cheap.

As I said above, I believe writing to be the chisel which allows you to create clarity, but it’s merely the first step.

You then need to execute upon it.

Maybe executing the clarity you’ve gained looks like building a business, or creating a piece of art, or performing that song in public, or building a better relationship, or pursuing that hobby, or instilling healthier habits, or - heck - converting a van.

Whatever clarity looks like for you, it requires action.

Vent. Invent. Repeat.

-or in my terms-

Write. Build. Repeat.

Bottom line: incessant pessimism without action doesn’t just compromise our ability to write/build the future. Inaction all but guarantees a feeling of regret upon reflecting on our past.

So here’s to a more hopeful future through the third principle that I’m incorporating into my work:

3. Writing brings clarity, but clarity gained without action taken is clarity wasted.

What I’m paying attention to:

Japan defeated the US in the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday, and Shohei Ohtani (21st Century Babe Ruth) struck out Mike Trout (21st Century Mickey Mantle) to end the game. When not playing for their home countries, Ohtani and Trout are teammates on the LA Angels - truly historic.

Photo of the week:

Thanks for reading

How did you like the stick figure drawing to convey my message?

Reply with your feedback (might do some more of it),

Josh

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