September 2026
- Sep 21, 2026ConceptsThe Map Is Not the Territory: Why Models MisleadThe map is not the territory explained via Korzybski, Borges, and Box: why every model omits, whom maps reflect, and how to use them without being misled.
- Sep 14, 2026ConceptsSecond-Order Thinking: Considering the Consequences of ConsequencesSecond-order thinking explained: how asking 'and then what?' reveals the consequences of consequences, why solutions backfire, and how to apply it to decisions.
August 2026
April 2026
- Apr 14, 2026ConceptsFirst Principles Thinking: Elon Musk's Approach ExplainedFirst principles thinking explained from Aristotle to Elon Musk. The five-step method, real examples from SpaceX battery costs to pharmaceutical...
- Apr 8, 2026IdeasEssential Mental Models for Decision MakingA practical guide to essential mental models - first principles, inversion, second-order thinking, Occam's razor - and how to apply them to make...
March 2026
- Mar 10, 2026ConceptsUnderstanding Communication Failures: The FrameworkIdeas break down at every handoff between encoding and decoding. Learn the framework that pinpoints exactly where your messages get lost in...
- Mar 5, 2026ConceptsMental Models That Make Every Decision SharperSecond-order thinking, inversion, and first principles expose what you're missing. The right mental model turns a hard decision into an obvious one.
- Mar 3, 2026ConceptsMental Models Explained in Plain LanguageMental models are thinking frameworks that simplify reality for faster decisions. Examples: supply and demand, first principles, and leverage points.
February 2026
- Feb 26, 2026ConceptsSystems Thinking Vocabulary ExplainedSystems thinking key terms: Feedback loops where output affects input, emergence where wholes behave differently than parts, and leverage points.
- Feb 18, 2026ConceptsHow to Choose the Right Mental ModelChoose mental models by matching problem type: first principles for novelty, probabilistic thinking for uncertainty, systems thinking for complexity.
- Feb 17, 2026ConceptsWhat Are Mental Models and Why They MatterWhat a mental model is and how it works in cognition: perception, prediction, model types, and how models fail in real high-stakes systems.
- Feb 16, 2026ConceptsSystems Thinking Models ExplainedFeedback loops connect outputs to inputs. Stocks accumulate; flows change them. Leverage points enable big impact from small changes.
- Feb 1, 2026ConceptsUniversal Principles That Apply Across DomainsPareto principle: 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. Leverage finds high-impact points.
January 2026
July 2025
June 2025
- Jun 25, 2025ExplainersHow Decision Frameworks Actually WorkFrameworks reduce bias by structuring choices. They make criteria explicit. Consistency improves through repeatable processes despite limitations.
- Jun 17, 2025ExplainersStep-by-Step: Building a Mental ModelIdentify key components. Map relationships showing how parts connect. Test predictions against reality. Refine based on failures.
- Jun 5, 2025ExplainersMaking Mental Models ActionableMake mental models actionable: Test predictions against reality, use them to guide decisions, identify blind spots, and refine through feedback loops.
November 2024
- Nov 18, 2024ConceptsWhat Is a Framework: Principles for Structured ThinkingA framework is a structured set of principles that organizes thinking and guides decisions. Learn what frameworks are, famous examples, and how to...
- Nov 12, 2024ConceptsUnderstanding Parkinson's Law: Time Management InsightsIn 1914 the British Admiralty employed 2,000 officials to administer 62 ships. By 1928, the fleet had shrunk to 20 ships, but the Admiralty had...
- Nov 7, 2024ConceptsThe Map Is Not the Territory: Why Models Always LieAlfred Korzybski's principle: every model is an abstraction that omits, simplifies, and distorts. Long-Term Capital Management.
- Nov 5, 2024ConceptsInversion: Thinking Backward to Solve ForwardInversion is asking what guarantees failure instead of what guarantees success. Florence Nightingale cut mortality from 42% to 2% using it.
- Nov 4, 2024ConceptsChesterton's Fence: Importance of Understanding ChangeChesterton's Fence: don't remove what you don't understand. From Mao's sparrow campaign that killed millions to Glass-Steagall's repeal causing the...
October 2024
May 2023
December 2022
- Dec 12, 2022ConceptsWhat Is Strategic Thinking and How to Develop ItStrategic thinking is the ability to analyze complex situations, anticipate the future, and make decisions that create long-term advantage.
- Dec 11, 2022ConceptsWhat Is a Mental Model and How to Build a Better ToolkitA practitioner's toolkit of named mental models, inversion, second-order thinking, Occam's razor, and how to build your own latticework of them.
October 2022
- Oct 20, 2022ConceptsWhat Is Systems Thinking: How to See the Whole PictureSystems thinking is a way of understanding complex problems by examining relationships, feedback loops, and patterns rather than isolated causes.
- Oct 7, 2022ConceptsSurvivorship Bias: The Hidden Graveyard of Failed EvidenceIn 1943, military analysts studied bullet holes on returning bombers to decide where to add armor.
- Oct 6, 2022ConceptsFrameworks: When to Use and When to Avoid ThemFrameworks structure thinking and action, but they can also constrain it. Learn what frameworks are, how to evaluate them, and when to use them vs...
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