Five Principles for Changing the World

Key Ideas from "Be Fearless", book by Jean Case

Big Bet

• The first principle is to make a "Big Bet". It is a kind of audacious plan that defies common assumptions. It grabs people's attention. 
• In the 1960s, John F. Kennedy made a bold promise on TV that the feat of humans setting foot on the moon would be completed within the decade. 
• Elon Musk was another example, and in 2018 his SpaceX program silenced some of his critics when it successfully launched its own rocket. 
• A lot of people assume that things are the way they are, and that there is no use to try to cyhange anything. Yet there is a small minority of fearless people that defy these common assumptions. 
• By questioning assumptions, a Big Bet can help you see what the future holds. 

Take Chances

• To change the world, you need to get uncomfortable. You will need to be bold and take chances.
• While changing the world is never going to be a walk in the park, it doesn't mean that you have to start from scratch and reinvent the wheel every time. 
• Changing the way you do things can be risky, but in order to avoid regrets you will likely want to start taking those bold chances. 
• The most common regret people have in their later years is not that they have chosen to do something risky, but rather that they chose to play it safe. 

Make Your Failures Matter By Learning From Them and Keeping the Bigger Picture in View 

• You might be surprised that many of the big game-changers see failures as a good thing. 
• They know that behind every success story you will find failures. 
• This is because failures are often an integral part of the learning process. 
• Quote from IBM founder Thomas J. Watson: "if you really want to succeed, you should double your rate of failure."
• Astro Teller, a X lab scientist, doesn't tolerate failure but expects failure. If they can't bring a project down, then they know that there's a good chance that it's a brilliant project and idea.

Make Sure Not to Get Inside Your Bubble, and Try To Eliminate Blind Spots

• Go on road trips, and explore beyond your comfort zone or boundary. 
• This ensures that you get outside your bubble. 
• Looking beyond your bubble is critical to understanding what's truly going on in the world and getting rid of any blind spots or biases that you might have.

Have a Sense of Urgency - Seize the Moment and Respond to Crises

• Let urgency overpower your fear. 
• Everyone is built to experience fear as a way to protect ourselves from danger, but fear can also get in the way of taking chances. 
• By being bold, you can do what it takes to make things amazing. 
• When someone's back in against the wall, this is when adrenaline kicks in - you might find yourself doing amazing things that wouldn't happen in normal circumstances. 
• Use this passion to your advantage! 
• Don't overthink things. The more time you spend thinking things through, the more likely you will end up paralyzed by uncertainty and confusion. 
• This is why it is useful; to let urgency propel you into action. Just do it.