Building valuables is hard

This week edition in summary:

• 🌟 A Quote from the Ben Horowitz

• 🪔 Building valuables is hard

🌟 Quote for the week

Hard things are hard because there are no easy answers or recipes. They are hard because your emotions are at odds with your logic. They are hard because you don’t know the answer. by Ben Horowitz

🪔 Building valuables is hard.

Each time you set out to create, build, or do something, there are two paths available for you to tread:

1. The Normal Path: it's the path of least resistance; this road leads to the usual result—nothing special, nothing different, just the usual thing.

2. The Hard Path: it's the path of uncertainty, more like an adventure; it’s like chewing glass and staring into an abyss; it is where the unknown resides. Hidden on the path of this road are treasures undug for obvious reasons. Who likes the sound of an abyss 😃

Guess where we always go? the normal path. Here’s why:

We love comfort.

Brianna Wiest of Forbes puts it this way: “Human beings do not necessarily chase happiness; they chase comfort.” We’re wired to move toward things that make us feel good and away from things that make us feel uncomfortable. Our brains tag effort as bad because it’s hard work, and we’re more likely to “go with our gut” instead of carefully considering all the available information.

But the hard path is where the adventure and, consequently, the valuable piece reside.

If there’s any truth I’ve discovered experientially in the journey of pushing pieces out there, it is this one thing: “The process is as important as the destination, if not more important." So, it must be one full of experiments, roadblocks, light bulb moments, down times, moments of epiphany coupled with bursts of joy, and finally, the masterpiece. It’s the bittersweet journey, where you really cannot tell what to expect, but you know you’re onto something truly valuable, and it all starts when we decide to go a bit deeper, add some extra effort, question the norm, and decide to only ship nothing but GREAT.

For God’s sake, the personal computer was an insane idea; it was nothing short of madness. Computers were a big, monstrous object (exactly the size of my top freezer refrigerator, to be honest), only created for large-scale research cooperation. Although it was abysmal, everyone was fine with it (we’re wired to fit in), until some hippies (Steve and Wozniak) decided to go the hard path, and the rest, they say, is history.

Don’t overthink things; here’s my point.

Everything of true value is hard. The more difficult and uncomfortable it feels, the more value it likely has. If you decide to go down this path, you are likely to fail from time to time. Don’t give up. It is all part of the game.

Remember, the process is as important as the destination, so even if you fail, you’ll be better off than your initial self and everyone else who chose to follow the normal path.

Think Different | Create Valuables, Only!

Please, share with colleagues, friends & family.

Dami.