How to become a creature of discomfort, Marc Andreessen on luck, and Eric Reis' Vision-Strategy-Product framework

Welcome back to the Z Fellows newsletter! Every Monday we share 3 ideas - to help you build companies, ship products, and create your life's work.

1: Adam Grant on how to tap into your hidden potential

Adam M. Grant is a bestselling author who explores the science of motivation, rethinking, and potential.

“Becoming a creature of discomfort can unlock hidden potential in many different types of learning. Summoning the nerve to face discomfort is a character skill— an especially important form of determination. 

It takes three kinds of courage:

1. to abandon your tried-and-true methods

2. to put yourself in the ring before you feel ready

3. to make more mistakes than others make attempts.

The best way to accelerate growth is to embrace, seek, and amplify discomfort.”

Source: Hidden Potential by Adam Grant

2: Marc Andreessen on the four kinds of luck

“Luck is something that every successful entrepreneur will tell you plays a huge role in the difference between success and failure.

In Chance I, the good luck that occurs is completely accidental. It is pure blind luck that comes with no effort on our part.

In Chance II, something else has been added—motion. Chance II springs from your energetic, generalized motor activities... the freer they are, the better.

Chance III involves involves a special receptivity, discernment, and intuitive grasp of significance unique to one particular recipient.

Chance IV favors the individualized action. This is the fourth element in good luck—an active, but unintentional, subtle individualized prompting of it.

Chance IV comes to you, unsought, because of who you are and how you behave.

I think there is a roadmap to getting luck on our side, and I think this is it.”

Source: https://pmarchive.com/luck_and_the_entrepreneur.html

3: Eric Reis' Vision-Strategy-Product framework

The Vision-Strategy-Product framework offers advice on MVP development — your vision forms the foundation for strategic planning, which then informs product development, with necessary changes at the product level and strategic pivots when needed.

Source: The Lean Startup by Eric Reis

Best of The Week

See you next Monday,

- The Z Fellows Team

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