The Curiosity Chronicle

sahilbloom.substack.com/p/how-to-get-lucky

How to Get Lucky

20 ways to expand your luck surface area & create more luck

Sahil Bloom
10
Mar 9 43

0:39 -11:47

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Today at a Glance:

Much of what we come to call "luck" is actually the macro result of 1,000s of micro
actions. Your daily habits put you in a position where “luck” is more likely to strike.

In order to get lucky, you have to remove the “black holes” (anti-luck) from your
existence. You have to take actions to expand your personal luck surface area.

Today’s piece shares 20 ways to expand your luck surface area.

How to Get Lucky

Visualizations Credit: @drex_jpg

“Diligence is the mother of good luck.” - Benjamin Franklin

“Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on
the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.” - Serena
Williams

“Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” - Ralph Waldo
Emerson

Luck is an interesting concept.

There is certainly “luck” that is uncontrollable—pure and raw. Where you are born, who
you are born to, and the base circumstances of your life all fall into this category of luck.

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But as we push beyond this baseline, the concept of luck morphs into something more
impure and fluid.

In fact, I believe that much of what we come to call "luck" is actually the macro result of
1,000s of micro actions. Your daily habits put you in a position where “luck” is more likely
to strike.

Interstellar & Luck Surface Area

In the movie Interstellar (slight spoiler if you haven’t seen it!), there’s a scene in which the
main characters discuss the habitability of a planet on the edge of a large black hole.

Tiny Planet Next to Large Black Hole!

The protagonists realize that the proximity to the black hole makes life unlikely to exist on
the planet—the black hole absorbed all of the “lucky” events that might have been the
spark for life. The asteroids carrying the seeds of life, the chance collisions—none of them
could occur because the “luck surface area” of the planet was minuscule given its
proximity to the all-absorbing black hole.

I think about this scene a lot—it’s a sneakily powerful metaphor for life.

In order to get lucky, you have to remove the “black holes” from your existence. You have
to take actions to expand your personal luck surface area.

In today’s piece, I’d like to get you started on this journey…

Here are 20 ways to expand your luck surface area:

Be the Dumbest in the Room

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If you have a choice between entering two rooms, choose the room where you are more
likely to be the dumbest one in the room.

Once you’re in the room, talk less and listen more. It’s bad for your ego, but it’s great for
luck.

Good things tend to happen in these rooms.

Hang Out With Optimists

Pessimists sound smart, optimists get rich.

When choosing who to spend time with, prioritize spending time with optimists.
Pessimists see the doors that are closed. Optimists see the doors that are open—and
probably kick down the closed doors.

Pessimists are “black holes” in your life that need to be removed in order for you to get
lucky.

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Get in the Arena
There's no luck on the sidelines—the arena is where it strikes.

It's lonely and vulnerable, but it's the only path that bears real fruit. When faced with two
paths, choose the path that puts you in the arena—where collisions happen, where luck
can strike.

Furthermore, surround yourself with people who are also in the arena. Sideline rock
slingers never get lucky.

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Write in Public
When you write and publish your ideas and insights, you are casting a web of magnets out
into the world.

Those ideas and insights will attract some people to you—and perhaps repel others.

As your web grows, the connections—and luck—compound accordingly.

Sahil Note: I am a testament to this fact. My luck has increased significantly since I started
writing in public. There are no qualifications or requirements to get started—just energy.

Talk to Strangers

"Don't talk to strangers" is a classic we are told as children—the residue of which carries
into adulthood for far too many people.

New relationships spark new ideas, insights, and opportunities—these compound just as
well as any financial investment.

Broad Network = Broad Luck.

"There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met." - William Butler Yeats

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Send More Cold Emails
Cold emails are responsible for some of the biggest breaks in my life—new mentors,
relationships, and career opportunities.

Cold emails are a force multiplier for your efforts.

Follow the principles in my Cold Email Guide to enhance your odds of success.

Always remember: Shooters shoot.

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Schedule Free Time
The idea that free time is bad is one of the greatest lies you’ve been told.

In investing, it’s often said that cash is a call option on future interesting investments.
Well, in life, I believe that free time is a call option on future interesting opportunities.
When you have free time, you have the headspace to pursue new ideas and go down rabbit
holes.

Plan for more of it.

Ruthlessly Eliminate Negativity

Everyone has a few negative people in their circle. They tell you to be realistic. They laugh
at your ambition. They argue.

Eliminate this negativity from your life. It's a boat anchor—a major black hole—cut the
damn line and run away from it as fast as you can.

Negative people are quite literally the anti-luck.

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Embrace the Unexpected
You should spend your 20s saying yes to almost everything.

Saying yes puts you into uncomfortable situations that lead to new relationships,
opportunities, and growth.

These unexpected moments are luck-rich. Embracing them is how you capitalize.

Hustle Hard

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When you have a bias for motion, good things happen. You create more random collisions
in your ecosystems—it’s like chaos theory.

A bit of hustle goes a long way.

“There’s luck through persistence, hard work, hustle, and motion. This is when you’re
running around creating opportunities. You’re generating a lot of energy, you’re doing a lot
to stir things up. It’s almost like mixing a petri dish or mixing a bunch of reagents and
seeing what combines. You’re just generating enough force, hustle, and energy for luck to
find you.” - Naval Ravikant

Trust the Weekend Test

"What the smartest people do on the weekend is what everyone else will do during the week
in ten years." - Chris Dixon

Observe the weekend projects of the smartest people in your circles. These passion
projects are disproportionately likely to be a looking glass into the future.

Make asymmetric bets on these areas.

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Create Value Without Expectations
The best things in life come to those who create value with no expectation of a return.

I don't know how it happens, but when you put out good energy, it tends to come back to
you—often multiplied.

Be genuine. Create value. Good things will happen.

Put Skin in the Game

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I have a rule: Once I've heard about something from 3 smart friends, I put some skin in
the game with a bit of money. I have a flat amount that I automatically put into things of
this nature.

I’d encourage you to give this a shot. Establish your rule at whatever level of base
investment you’re comfortable with.

The skin in the game forces me to dive deeper. Sometimes I learn more and fold; more
often I learn more and double down. These are small bets with outsized returns.

Get Out & Engage

It’s hard to get lucky watching Netflix at home on the couch.

It’s (relatively) easy to get lucky when you’re engaging with people, interacting, and
learning—in physical or digital worlds.

Spend more time engaging and you'll find yourself in more positions to get lucky.

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Become an Expert
If you are exceptional at one specific thing, luck tends to find you.

Your expertise becomes a magnet for new and interesting opportunities you never knew
existed.

Public awareness of your expertise is a plus. Share your work to widen the reach of your
magnet.

Creative Boredom

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We really need to normalize boredom. Some of your most creative moments come during
periods of boredom.

On a walk, in the shower, at a dinner by yourself. You’re bored, your mind wanders, your
thoughts mingle. Bam! Insight strikes.

Boredom creates luck. Go for more walks (sans technology), go for more drives, sit quietly
and think. You’ll never regret it.

Send More Cold DMs

Twitter is an insanely valuable resource if you use it well.

You can literally reach almost anyone in the world from your couch. I've connected with
many amazing people through sending them a cold DM—including when I had very few
followers.

Use my simple guide to hack the process. Shoot your shot.

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Spend Time in Digital Communities
The world has changed—you no longer need to live in a big city or have a fancy degree to
connect and build valuable relationships.

The rise of digital communities is real. Consider the fact that one of the co-founders of the
largest play-to-earn game in the world started out as a member in the community in the
very early days (now he’s worth tens of millions!). The opportunity playing field is leveling
out.

Join a Discord, engage in good faith. Create value, receive value.

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Ask Great Cold Questions
When you meet new people, find ways to stand out. Asking great questions is a clear way.

A few of my favorites:

What are you most excited about that you're working on right now?

What is your favorite book that you’ve read recently?

I know almost nothing about your field of expertise. Can you tell me more about
that?

It gets the other person talking—plus they’ll remember you for future opportunities.

Follow Your Curiosity

Humans are born with astonishing curiosity. But somewhere along the way, we're told to
stop asking questions.

Push back.

Learn to follow your curiosity—trust it. Curiosity drives you to knock down doors and
enter new rooms.

Fortune favors the curious.

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There you have it: 20 ways to get lucky by expanding your luck surface area.

I’d love to hear from you. What am I missing? Comment below!

If you enjoyed this, consider sharing it with your network so I can continue to grow this
amazing curiosity tribe. Thank you for joining me on the journey!

Until next time, as always, stay curious, friends!

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