The Blank Sheet Method that will 10x your reading comprehension.

Here is how it works.

Before you start reading a new book, take out a blank sheet of paper. Write down what you know about the book / subject you’re about to read — a mind map if you will.
After you finish a reading session, spend a few minutes adding to the map with a different color.
Before you start your next reading session, review the page.
When you’re done reading, put these ‘blank sheets’ into a binder that you periodically review.
Why does this work so well?

The blank sheet primes your brain for what you’re about to read. At the start you’re forced to search your memory and put on paper what you know (or what you think you know) about a subject. As you read, you put new things on top of the foundation.
Reviewing what you knew about a subject, as well as what you learned, not only improves memory and recall but connects ideas. Most of the early connections will come from putting the authors structure onto your foundation.
If you don’t know anything about a book or subject going in, don’t worry. You’ll be able to borrow the authors scaffolding to get you started. As your cognitive foundation becomes stronger, you’ll start connecting ideas across books and disciplines.
When you’re done the book put the page into a binder. Review the binder every few months. This is essential for establishing deep fluency and connecting ideas across disciplines.
For more proven ideas and tips to get the most out of your reading: https://t.co/glSrJLq7hi
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I’ve always felt that the luckiest people I know had a talent for recognizing circumstances, not of their own making, that were conducive to a favorable outcome and their ability to quickly take advantage of them.

In other words, dumb luck was just that, it required no awareness on the person’s part, whereas “smart” luck involved awareness followed by action before the circumstances changed.

So, was I “lucky” to be born when I was—nothing I had any control over—and that I came of age just as huge databases and computers were advancing to the point where I could use those tools to write “What Works on Wall Street?” Absolutely.

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1/“What would need to be true for you to….X”

Why is this the most powerful question you can ask when attempting to reach an agreement with another human being or organization?

A thread, co-written by @deanmbrody:


2/ First, “X” could be lots of things. Examples: What would need to be true for you to

- “Feel it's in our best interest for me to be CMO"
- “Feel that we’re in a good place as a company”
- “Feel that we’re on the same page”
- “Feel that we both got what we wanted from this deal

3/ Normally, we aren’t that direct. Example from startup/VC land:

Founders leave VC meetings thinking that every VC will invest, but they rarely do.

Worse over, the founders don’t know what they need to do in order to be fundable.

4/ So why should you ask the magic Q?

To get clarity.

You want to know where you stand, and what it takes to get what you want in a way that also gets them what they want.

It also holds them (mentally) accountable once the thing they need becomes true.

5/ Staying in the context of soliciting investors, the question is “what would need to be true for you to want to invest (or partner with us on this journey, etc)?”

Multiple responses to this question are likely to deliver a positive result.