Cedric Chin

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Cedric Chin

Word slinger, bug fixer, and operator.

Writing Doesn’t Make You A Genius

Writers seem smarter than they are because the act of writing is the act of thinking clearly. This doesn't make them geniuses.

A Nuanced Take on Preventing Burnout

A technique to prevent burnout from my old bosses in Silicon Valley. And then some moral philosophising.

Robin Hanson on Ray Dalio

We explore what happens when an academic reviews a practitioner's book.

Announcing the Commonplace Mailing List

The Commonplace Mailing List — every Friday, with a smattering of links related to building career moats.

Optimise for Usefulness

Optimising for usefulness is my current stab at a core principle that underpins the effective life. A first draft of a life philosophy.

Dismissively Stubborn

Dismissive stubbornness is the worst kind of stubborn, and the only character trait I can’t tolerate on my team.

The Superiority of ‘Trial & Error’

Nassem Taleb and a mozzarella video show us how trial & error is actually a superior life strategy.

The End of the Principles Sequence

I spent a few weeks reading Ray Dalio's Principles and summarising the contents. This is the end, in which I take a final stab at contextualising the book.

Being an Effective Decision Maker

The final chapter of Ray Dalio's Life Principles — which has to do with better decision-making.

Understand that People are Wired Very Differently

Understanding how the human brain works helps with managing yourself, as well as with orchestrating other people.