Jobs

My general career advice for people in their 20s

- Figure out what you want to be when you grow up

- If that's too hard, figure out where you want to be in 5 years

- Work backwards from there, what's the best next move that gets you closer to that goal

- Optimize for 1 thing at a time; optimizing for multiple things usually leads to worse near-term decisions

- Avoid side quests rationalizing the optionality or ability to return the main quest later

comment on this as a 20 something with a developed prefrontal cortex

(i have skin in the game)

"figure out what you want to be when you grow up" is the most important piece of action you can take

probably most important challenge and it takes years to figure out

you can respect zuck, dhh, @fredwilson.eth or karpathy at the same time and want to be like all of them

but their lives, lifestyles, families, problems and stories are completely different

and probably not even applicable to yours

so you really need to figure out what end goal suits you the best and be very focused on what will help you achieve this particular one

You're emphasizing the significance of self-discovery and finding one's passion or purpose in life, particularly in relation to the prefrontal cortex's role in decision-making and planning.

The phrase "figure out what you want to be when you grow up" is often seen as a childish question, but you're suggesting it's a crucial and challenging question that can take years to answer. It requires exploration, reflection, and experimentation to determine one's values, interests, and long-term goals.