The David Perell Bot

Timeless tweets about business & writing from @david_perell | Powered by @timeless_so

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

If you’re starting a business, solve problems other people aren’t solving.

Don’t copy.

Competition makes marketing expensive. But differentiation is free marketing.

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

The Steve Jobs Effect:

Before Apple, people were expected to read a manual to figure out how things work.

But increasingly, people expect design to be so intuitive that you don’t even need a manual.

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

Teachers complain that students don't listen to them, but rarely ask if they're worth listening to in the first place

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

Elon Musk personally met with the first 3,000 people that Space X hired to make sure the company was hiring the right people

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

A collection of well-written articles demonstrates your knowledge better than any resume ever will

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

You can often cure writer’s block by pretending to text your friends instead of trying to impress your English teacher

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

One crazy form of self-discovery is when you find yourself listening to a song repeatedly because the lyrics speak to emotions that've been hiding in your subconscious mind

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

Use your intuition to find the big picture secret. Then, use logic to fill in the details.

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

Airbnb's product would be 25% better with one new feature: WiFi speed tests

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

Whenever I write, I am either thinking "this is gonna be the greatest thing ever" or "this is the worst thing I've ever written," and there is nothing in between

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

I like the motto: “Don’t put-spend your competitors. Out-teach them.”

If you have a unique perspective, a solid product, and know how to spread your message on the Internet, you don’t have to spend money on paid marketing.

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

Humans are such social creatures that it’s hard for us to relax during the daytime, even when we are totally alone, because we feel like the world is moving on without us.

That’s why we treasure the stillness of the night.

Only then can we slow down and relax.

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

Note-taking is like time travel.

It isn’t just about saving ideas. It’s about having conversations with your past and future self, so you can develop ideas over time.

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

Audiobooks are hard to listen to because the voice performances are too clean.

Real human speech is messy, imperfect, and emotional.

But audiobooks are so robotic that we tune out and stop paying attention.

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

The American Psychological Association once invited William James to give a talk on the first 50 years of psychology research.

He simply said: “People by and large become what they think of themselves.”

Then, he left.

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

I’ve started treating Zoom meetings like FaceTime calls, and taking them on walks outside instead of sitting at my desk

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

Most of my articles are written by going on long walks, jotting notes along the way, and turning them into an outline when I get back on my computer

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

Kids benefit from building skills that seem like a waste of time in the present, even though they’ll be incredibly valuable in the future.

Current example: Video game design

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

The tools of creativity are always changing, but the creative process is ancient and timeless.

So study the process, not the tools.

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

A psychology class where you learn by reading classic novels instead of textbooks

-@david_perell

[The David Perell Bot @the_perell_bot]

It’s sad that students learn to hate writing in school because publishing essays online is now one of the best things you can do with your time

-@david_perell