My Biases Are Not Failures
I’m sitting in an important meeting and make a snap decision—maybe too quickly. Later, it turns out to be wrong. How did that happen? A moment of doubt that lingers. Why did I instinctively favor a colleague even when the facts said otherwise?
Our brain is a master of shortcuts—it tricks us faster than we realize. Situations like these aren’t rare; they shine a light on how our internal mechanisms shape our choices. These moments reveal a deeper truth: our brain operates on shortcuts.
Biases, or cognitive distortions, are systematic deviations in how we perceive and assess information. They come from the way our brain processes and simplifies decisions.
Here’s the kicker: Biases aren’t deliberate misdeeds, nor are they moral failings. They’re simply part of being human, and it’s okay to have them. What matters is how we deal with them.
Why does this matter?
Understanding that biases run on autopilot takes away the pressure to be perfect. These silent companions are part of our cognitive makeup—automatic processes that help us navigate daily life, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.
Biases can lead to misjudgments, but they’re not inherently ethical missteps. They aren’t good or bad; they just are.
And that’s okay. Once we become aware of them, we have the power to make better, informed decisions and manage these unconscious influences. Recognizing them helps us make smarter choices.
What does this mean for you?
Whether at work, during negotiations, or when interacting with colleagues, ask yourself: Am I aware of how my perception is being shaped right now? The more you know your biases, the better you can question them and make wiser choices.
Biases affect more of our lives than we’d care to admit. But those who can identify and consciously manage them regain control.
Want to make better decisions?
Start by questioning your own biases and noticing the subtle moments when biases influence your perspective. After all, we all want to make better choices.
Making of/up New Rules
I'm trying my hand at a new format called #NewRules on Social.
It stems from a new content strategy and my need to hone my writing and observation skills.
We all come across these absurdities, contradictions and things that trigger emotions in us.
We can ridicule them, ignore them or get angry about them.
Or we can address them with a blend of comedy and commentary and a call to action.
And in doing so, call for concrete changes in society at large or in our own behaviors and actions.
Analyzing Colin and Samir Most Viewed Video Ever
The success of Colin and Samir's most viewed video is rooted in a deep understanding of platform-specific dynamics, a focus on engagement through conversation, and leveraging cross-platform insights for content optimization.
This strategy can be a valuable guide for you if you are looking to enhance their content strategy across various social media platforms.
Our Instagram Reel about the new Ray-Ban Meta glasses was shared 1,082,464 times and became our most viewed video ever with 59.2M views.
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We increased our focus on Instagram this year, specifically with Reels. The built-in messaging aspect of Instagram makes the platform inherently more conversational and our videos more shareable. The IG DM allows for videos to operate as units of conversation, which is very different from Shorts / TikToks. Even when we had a big episode on YouTube, we’d look to Instagram (and TikTok) to see what people were saying about it.
Let's break it down to highlight key elements of your content strategy, which can be shared as advice:
1. Platform-Specific Focus
Strategy: Concentrating efforts on Instagram Reels.
Why It Works: Instagram's format is inherently more conversational than other platforms like YouTube Shorts or TikTok. The ease of sharing and the direct messaging feature on Instagram enhances the shareability and engagement of your content.
2. Utilizing Built-In Features for Engagement
Strategy: Leveraging Instagram's direct messaging (DM) feature.
Why It Works: The DM feature turns videos into conversational units, making them more personal and engaging. This approach differs from other platforms where content is typically consumed more passively.
3. Cross-Platform Analysis for Audience Insights
Strategy: Using Instagram and TikTok to gauge audience reactions to YouTube content.
Why It Works: This allows for a more holistic understanding of audience preferences and perceptions, which can inform content creation across all platforms.
4. Content as Conversation
Strategy: Creating content that serves as a starting point for conversations.
Why It Works: This approach fosters community engagement and encourages sharing, as people are more likely to share content that they find conversation-worthy.
5. Understanding Platform Dynamics
Strategy: Recognizing and utilizing the unique dynamics of each platform.
Why It Works: Different platforms cater to different audience behaviors and preferences. Tailoring content to fit the platform ensures higher engagement and relevance.
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Be open to experiment with creative and understand the algorithms and how they are designed to enhance user engagement by showing content that is likely to interest each individual user, leading to a personalized experience.
Does your content provide value to the user base of the platform you use?
And does it serve a specific audience within that user base?
The Best Startup Job Ad in the World
Arguably the best job ad in the world? Comes from Extropic in a very straightforward way.
"Yes, but Bastian, a sexy startup has no shortage of skilled specialists".
It's not a sexy ad either.
Because, curious people want to work on interesting problems - not on boring tasks that a computer could do but you refused to invest in.
And how do you spark curiosity?
By making an engaging video.
A good video has nothing to do with effects, VFX and SFX, or quick cuts that make you and your applicants feel nauseated as if you've just been on a rollercoaster.
A good video needs a compelling theme.
A theme that captivates its target audience AND people who think "Oh, Charlie might be interested in this topic and they probably haven't heard of it yet so I am going to tell them about it…"
"That's an exciting topic!", even I thought to myself, who understands nothing of what the founders are discussing. Even though we were once invited by the researchers at Fraunhofer IAF to find out first-hand how research is being conducted at the bleeding-edge of III-V semiconductors. So yes, I may know a bit more about semiconductors than the average person on the interwebs. But I didn't study physics, computer science nor electrical engineering.
“A good video is all about an interesting topic told well and without cliches,” as Niko likes to say.
How do you make a great video?
IMHO: The easiest way is to simply explain it.
Explain it to an interested layperson.
Just like Guillaume Verdon and Trevor McCourt explain it to Garry Tan. Garry is asking these questions that we’d like to ask Guillaume and Trevor ourselves. And questions that the right applicant might be able to ask them very soon themselves.
The entire video leads with “what ground-breaking thing is going on here?”
Not the fact that they're going from stealth startup to launch.
Not the fact that Verdon’s anonymous X account had been "doxed" by the New York Times.
But the fact that they were able to keep my attention for 10 minutes, despite it quickly became clear that it was a recruitment video, makes it... arguably the best job ad in the world.
Last week I talked about the best product demo in the world.
This week I talked about the best job ad in the world.
If you don't want to miss anything "best in the world", subscribe now and click the like button.
Tesla Cybertruck: Brand Integration done the Creator Economy Way
A marvel of modern engineering.And a marvelous way to demonstrate it.
I liked the Top Gear’s Jack Rix #Tesla #Cybertruck review and his interview with the VP of Engineering Lars Moravy and the Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen.
But this? This is product demonstration done right.
This is a product demo on the next level and although wild and you would never do it, this product demo seems much more appropriate.
This is what we actually want to see doing a car like this. Not your 40-year-old driving it to go shopping and dropping your kids of at soccer practice.
This will take care of the “German E-Angst.”
If you want to see the entire video (parental advisory advised), go to YouTube and search for Danny Duncan “I Drilled Horns On My Cybertruck!” #CreatorEconomy #InfluencerAdvertisment #BrandIntegration
YC Partner Lightcone Podcast
Deep Inside the Minds of YC Leadership
Listening to the new YC Partner Podcast feels like being a fly on the wall within the pulsating heart of Silicon Valley.
It's as if you're privy to the very essence of the moment, tuning into conversations that resonate with the immediacy of the now.
The discussions unfurl topics that have likely been thoroughly explored in similar circles, hinting at a familiarity and depth only insiders possess.
Yes, the dialogue is moderated, and to the participants, it might tread over well-worn paths.
Yet, what captivates us are the underlying principles they navigate, principles that echo Paul Graham's essays and the inevitable intersection of business minds and administrative forces—highlighting a path to success that doesn't always necessitate their early involvement. Success, they imply, can be as simple as creating something remarkable.
YC has a long standing history shared their knowledge not just in essays and YC Startupschool and Garry Tan becoming a YouTuber.
But this time is different. It feels much more like in the present, they are talking about the now and the principles are the underlying truths, not the stars of the show. It seems they have become a media company not just a school where they as the professors graduate their students with a multi-million dollar evaluation on Demo Day.
This essence of being that proverbial fly, listening in on conversations that flow as naturally to them as breathing, offers a unique perspective.
It's exhilarating to be part of a dialogue that embodies the optimism of a generational shift, the dawn of the AI Age.
This confidence, this shared optimism, provides a comforting reassurance that my own aspirations aren't misplaced, even if they seem to be navigating the future with a six-month lead.