Start Early

I divide a person’s cognition into two parts: methodology and knowledge. Methodology is the understanding of the underlying principles that govern how things work. Knowledge is the accumulation of experience and skills that help you get things done efficiently.

Methodology > Knowledge.

Among all the factors that lead to success, my hierarchy goes like this: determination > discernment = resilience = execution > domain knowledge = education background.

In a capitalist society, people tend to admire those who possess more resources. That’s why we often hear sayings like “some companies are too big to fail,” referring to giants such as Google. I disagree. Capital can only slow down the fall - it cannot prevent it. That’s why I resonate with Jensen Huang’s view that any company could go bankrupt tomorrow.

The path to success is, by nature, against conventional wisdom. If success followed popular thinking, everyone would be successful - and therefore, no one would be.

It’s human nature to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. But entrepreneurship demands the opposite: to endure the pain now, and to hold faith in the future reward. It is this belief that gives us the determination to overcome every obstacle and eventually reach our goal.

Those who seek work-life balance and those who choose to build startups are, at their core, different kinds of people. Many believe that spending a few years in a big company to “learn skills” before starting a business is the right path. In reality, it’s often the opposite. The longer you stay in a large corporation, the further you drift from the entrepreneurial mindset.

Start early. Before you’re conditioned by corporate comfort and culture, break free. Begin learning from scratch what it truly means to build something of your own. That’s the right path.

The environment in big companies is toxic to programmers, I strongly recommend every programmer who dreams of creating something great to read Paul Graham’s essay You Weren’t Meant to Have a Boss.