Four Ideas I’ve Discovered So Far In 2024
Weekender #1: Exploring Top Ideas of 2024 and the Power of Continuous Learning
Hello, Readers!
Welcome to this week's edition of the Weekender, a curated collection of ideas, quotes, and inspiration, there are over 3,000 of you who read this newsletter and I thank you so much.
Your feedback and critique are invaluable in fostering these ideas.
If you find this edition enlightening, feel free to share it with friends and colleagues eager for knowledge, and as always hitting ❤️ below goes a long way.
Boost your productivity with Notion! It's more than just an app—it's your all-in-one workspace where you can write, plan, collaborate, and get organized. Don't just work hard, work smart with Notion.
"Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people" — Socrates
How I accumulate my ideas
A few times a week, I compile interesting quotes, sources, insights, and news into a Notion document. This idea came from a writing course I took with David Perrell during the lockdown. While there's room for improvement, it aids in documentation and reflection.
The Top Four Ideas I Have Discovered So Far in 2024
Unifying Diverse Fields
Unless you have lived under a rock for the past year, you have had to see Nvidia rise. Their stock is up 156.47% year-to-date as of this writing and whether you believe in the AI hype or not there is still something to learn from the founder Jensen Huang who has become the most celebrated CEO on the planet this year. If you can equate their success to one thing it is the ability to unify diverse fields repeatedly. Huang’s vision of merging computer graphics and generative AI research shows the power of interdisciplinary innovation and bringing together non-obvious fields of interest.
Practical Insight: I am trying to integrate different fields or perspectives to find innovative solutions to challenges in my business and daily life. Another entire book on this idea is Range: Why Generalist Triumph In A Specialized World which I should crack open again to double down on this idea.
I am launching my course on how I raised $2.5 million for my startup with no huge VC network. Help me shape the future of startup success by completing our quick survey!
The Balance of AI & Human Oversight
Staying on the idea maze that I've been studying is another gem from Huang's statement about human involvement in A.I. in which he says, "No A.I. should be able to learn without a human in the loop." This is playing out all over Silicon Valley right now as every company is positioning to leverage companies like Scale AI or build out their niche human experts to make LLM models better.
Practical Insight: In my entrepreneurial journey especially with the veil of AI, it is important to rewire my brain that fully automated technology and products are only a figment of imagination, as almost every successful new startup has some human-in-the-loop aspect that makes everything work.
Source: How Jensen Huang’s Nvidia Is Powering the A.I. Revolution
Online Marketing Still Works — It is Just Different Now
Before COVID-19, it felt like online marketing and paying Facebook, Google, and any other ad network had a decreasing ROI. It was almost anathema to pay for customer acquisition and many venture firms were even saying venture capital is just money to pour into the big ad networks. While there is some truth here, in a deep dive into IQVIA, I found a well-reasoned account of why online advertising is still a very important way to acquire customers and it delved into how profitable it is for their niche category of customers: doctors.
Practical Insight: Regularly evaluate and update your marketing strategies based on technological advancements, customer behavior, and market trends. Never accept high-level thinking that something does not work anymore.
Source: Matt Stoller on IQVIA, and pharma data
Focusing on Systems Over Goals
James Clear's idea about the importance of systems in achieving success is a transformative concept.
Practical Insight: Instead of just setting goals, focus on creating efficient systems and habits that lead to your desired outcomes. This approach can lead to more consistent and sustainable progress.
Source: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Quotes from the Week
"Everybody's scared to invest in anything other than transformer models. We're not. I'm very focused on, you know, esoteric things." — Vinod Khosla
"Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas." — Marie Curie
"Are we optimizing our lives for the people who know us best or the people who know us least? That's a question that haunts me." — Brent Beshore
Coming Soon: Exclusive course launch for Founders, complete the survey
Daily: Catch my latest tips on TikTok, X, and Linkedin
Don't miss out on these opportunities to learn, grow, and connect! Click the links above to join me on this exciting journey.
See you next time!
Matt