Kyle Harrison
interview

Not So Lazy & Entitled Millennials: David Perell

Sar Haribhakti (interviewing David Perell) 2018 View original ↗

Not So Lazy & Entitled Millennials: David Perell

Author: Sar Haribhakti (interviewing David Perell) URL: https://www.perell.com/blog/sar-interview One-line: A wide-ranging interview with Perell on learning, writing, the “second brain,” Naked Brands, and the case for optimistic science fiction as fuel for innovation.

Key claims

  • Education is the best kind of marketing. Companies that create information-rich, entertaining content earn attention, generate trust, and build “an impenetrable network.”
  • Naked Brands are founded by influencers, built on transparency, and defined “not by symbols, logos, or television advertisements, but by the authenticity of their personalities.” For the first time athletes, politicians, and entertainers reach audiences directly — LeBron has 37M Instagram followers to ESPN’s 10M; Beyoncé 114M to MTV’s 9M.
  • Perell runs a “digital model of his brain.” He saves all knowledge in Evernote so he never has to remember anything — “my goal is to forget as much as possible” (Building a Second Brain).
  • Master core principles first. “Most knowledge is a combination of the core principles in an area.” Career advice from Keith Rabois: “Aim to become not the best at what you do but ‘the only one’ who does what you do.”
  • We’re in an era of “innovation starvation.” Most science fiction is dystopian, which hurts growth: “Innovation is more likely when people are given inspiring visions of potential futures.” We need hope and enthusiasm (Science Fiction, Historical Futurism).
  • Read old things. “Time is the best measure of quality.” He invokes Nassim Taleb’s Via Negativa — improve by removal: “distill, distill, and keep distilling. What you ignore is every bit as important as what you know.”

Notable quotes

“I want to live a life where I don’t have to remember anything. Seriously. That’s my goal — to forget as much as possible.”

“To innovate, we need to be inspired to do so. Innovation is more likely when people are given inspiring visions of potential futures.”

“Never read a book that is not a year old.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Most people try to improve by addition. I say do the opposite. Remove things.” (on Nassim Taleb’s Via Negativa)

Embedded tweets

Pessimistic about America, optimistic about the future. I think that captures it precisely.

↳ quoting: There is a deeper message in this: The antifragility of globalization rests on having diversity of connections among all actors but being able to “ring-fence” contagion. One can be pessimistic about America but still optimistic about the world.

— Balaji (@balajis) · Jun 27, 2020 · View on X

How it connects

Verbatim source notes — restored from Roam, 2026-09-21

  • **Many of them have a more significant reach than newspapers like The New York Times or TV stations like ABC. LeBron James has 37 million Instagram followers; ESPN has 10 million. Beyonce has 114 million Instagram followers; MTV has 9 million. **Agency / Network for surprise-wealth millenials (Youtube, Instagram, etc.)
  • Basketball reflects the future of work, culture, and society. Like social media, basketball is all about the individual. Like Naked Brands, the NBA thrives on strong personalities**. **The best players transcend their teams: Michael Jordan and the Bulls — LeBron and the Cavaliers.
  • As for learning, start with the core principles that govern the field and master those. Across fields, the fundamentals are under-rated. **Most knowledge is a combination of the core principles in an area. **First Principles
  • It’s become contrarian to be positive about the long-term future. We’ve entered an era of innovation starvation where people have lost faith in a better future. That’s a worrying sign.
  • I have a digital model of my brain, which makes all this possible. It’s the coolest thing! I save all my knowledge in Evernote. I’ve worked with a coach to develop the system. I want to live a life where I don’t have to remember anything. Seriously. That’s my goal — to forget as much as possible. Building a Second Brain
  • Especially in a world of information overload, removing the noise is simple and straightforward, compared with looking for something new. What you ignore is every bit as important as what you know. Content Consumption
  • I love to learn — I love it.
  • I love Nassim Taleb’s concept of Via Negativa. We know what is wrong with a lot more confidence than we know what is right. **Most people try to improve by addition. I say do the opposite. Remove things. **You see it in the self-help literature all the time. Do this. Do that. I say “do less.” Remove stuff. “Filter” is the right word: distill, distill, and keep distilling. Content Consumption
  • An interview I did with Sar Haribhakti Sar Haribhakti
  • Drew Austin — Drew writes about cities, technology, and their dystopian future. Recommended Posts: “The Networked Narrative” | “Civilization and the War on Entropy.” articles-to-read
  • Naked Brands are founded by influencers, built on transparency, and prize ongoing communication with fans and customers.** Their brands are defined not by symbols, logos, or television advertisements, but by the authenticity of their personalities.**
  • For the first time in history, athletes, politicians, and entertainers can reach their audiences directly.
  • The data echoes this idea: right now, the vast majority of Americans see a grim future for the world. Most Americans think the world is becoming worse.
  • My favorite career advice comes from Keith Rabois: “Aim to become not the best at what you do but ‘the only one’ who does what you do.” Career Advice
  • As an interviewer, I keep my belly soft which helps me relax. The softer your belly, the more you relax. Try it, it works! Interviewing
  • The internet pushes us towards the new. Our social media feeds have a recency bias. I try to read older things. Time is the best measure of quality.
  • Dispassionate about their work, I know far too many people who live for the weekend. And when it arrives, they spend their nights drinking and their days hungover — weekend after weekend after weekend — blind to their potential; numb to our magnificent universe.
  • Before each interview, I ask guests to send me a list of books, people, experiences, and ideas that have shaped their worldview. I secretly have the world’s best reading list! Reading
  • Who is writing the book about a world with free, infinite energy? Or the one about a world where 3D printers are as ubiquitous as smartphones? Alternative Energy Science Fiction
  • Both Josh and Sam are avid science fiction readers. They seek out positive visions of the future. When you speak with them, their belief in a better tomorrow shoots into your soul and melts into your mind. Lux Capital Josh Wolfe
  • Companies that can create information-rich, entertaining content earn attention, generate trust, and develop an impenetrable network. Marketing
  • If anybody’s gonna do it, it’s the Chinese — not the Americans.
  • Organizations everywhere hold tons of knowledge. Unfortunately, most of them don’t know how to store it, organize it, or create content with it. That’s where we come in.
  • I’m a voracious reader, so I always have an abundance of quality information. Since I don’t have to remember anything, it’s easy to write these threads.
  • This is a massive shift. Ten years ago, none of this existed. It’s a new world now, and we’re still in the early innings.
  • **David is a learning machine, a phenomenal writer, and a podcaster. It is difficult to not feel inspired after having a little chat with him. **I encourage everything to check out his website, which is a beautifully designed place where he consolidates his blog posts, tweetstorms, podcast episodes and book reviews. I once spent a couple hours over a weekend binge-reading everything. Personal Websites

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