Hello, I'm Jian Yang.
I write about investing, software, books, cooking, and other things that interest me.
This site serves as a public journal to document ideas and capture insights. By putting them into writing, I hope to further develop these concepts and look back to see how my understanding changes over time.
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Why, What, and How
Differentiating the why, what, and how:
- Why: We need energy to go about our lives.
- What: We need to eat food to get that energy.
- How: Find a recipe, buy the ingredients, cook the meal, chew, and swallow.
Time is the Currency of Life
I found this on Reddit today:
After first 2–3 millions, a paid off home and a good car, there is no difference in quality of life between you and Jeff Bezos. Both of you have limited amount of time on earth — you have twice if not more than Jeff, so you are richer than him. A cheese burger is a cheese burger whether a billionaire eats or you do.
Money is nothing but a piece of paper or a number in your app. Real life is outdoors.
Become financially independent that’s usually 2–3 M. Have good food. Enjoy the relations. Workout and enjoy sex. Sleep well. Call your parents. That’s all there is to life. Greed has no end.
Repeat after me. Time is the currency of life. Money is not.
Sooner you figure this out, happier you will be.
The 30-Second Mind
An interesting 8 qns proposed by ChatGPT to achieve the same 30 second mind as the great late Charlie Munger:
-
What is the actual problem?
Strip away symptoms, wording, and noise. What are we really trying to solve? -
What must be true?
What assumptions does my conclusion depend on? Which ones are facts vs guesses? -
What are the incentives?
Who benefits from what? What behaviour do those incentives predict? -
What usually happens?
Ignore the story for a moment. What does the base rate / reference class say? -
What is the dominant variable?
Of everything going on, what 1–2 factors actually determine the outcome? -
How could this fail?
Invert the problem. Look for ruin, hidden risks, weak links, and ways you’re wrong. -
And then what?
Follow the consequences another 1–2 steps. Second-order effects often reverse the obvious answer. -
Compared with what?
Every decision has an opportunity cost. Is this actually better than the next-best alternative?
Capture the Minds of the Masses
Capture the minds of the masses, and you control the actions of leaders. The majority is usually right thanks to collective intelligence, but the crowd is still effortlessly manipulated by half-truths, emotional arguments, and groupthink.
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” - Mark Twain