Super Thinking: Upgrade Your Reasoning and Make Better Decisions with Mental Models

by Gabriel Weinberg

Deterrence, containment, and appeasement are all strategic mental models to keep you out of costly direct conflict. You want to enlist these models when other conflict-avoidance models have failed and you are still faced with a situation that you think you can’t “win,” as when engaging would create so much damage it isn’t worth it or when you want to preserve your resources for more fruitful engagements

People who like rules and structure are much better suited for police roles, whereas anti-establishment types gravitate toward and excel in commando roles. If you put a commando person in a police role (e.g., project manager, compliance officer, etc.), they will generally rebel and make a mess of everything, whereas if you put a police person in a commando role (e.g., a position involving rapid prototyping, creative deliverables, etc.), they will generally freeze up and stall out.

higher roles tend to involve more strategy than tactics. Generally, strategy is the big picture; tactics are the details. Strategy is the long term, defining what ultimate success looks like. Tactics are short term, defining what we’re going to do next to get there.

Apple is known for popularizing a mental model called directly responsible individual, or DRI for short. After every meeting, it is made clear that there is one DRI who is responsible and accountable for the success of each action item.

Use this after every meeting: - what needs to be done _ who needs to do it - when must it be done by

if people understand what they are shooting for, they can rise to the occasion.

When you are working with people who have less expertise, help them properly recognize their level of abilities so they don’t become overconfident, but at the same time praise their learning progression so they don’t become discouraged.

When you take advantage of price differences for the same product in two different settings, it’s called arbitrage

The time to get interested is when no one else is. You can’t buy what is popular and do well.”

Common knowledge in one field can be a secret in another.

Maybe this is partly why it pays to be well read and have knowledge of different fields.

When you see something change in the world around you, ask yourself what new opportunities might open up as a result.

For any idea you have, think about who the “customer” is and then go talk to them directly about your “product.”

Grove’s words serve as a reminder that even if you establish a working moat, you must be constantly evaluating the strength of it, and even when you have a strong product/market fit, your moat may give way and you may need to eventually pivot.

If you see disruption on the horizon in your field, you ought to prepare to respond sooner rather than later. Maybe that means investing in a new set of skills; maybe it means switching responsibilities; maybe it means pivoting to another field altogether.

We have a couple of steps for you to take in order to do so and ensure that you become a real super thinker. First, get a partner in super thinking. Thinking about complicated topics in isolation does not yield the best results.

Second, try writing. Even if you never publish anything, the act of writing clarifies your thinking and makes you aware of holes in your arguments.