I avoided Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits [...]” for years and years — but when I finally read it, it was much deeper than I’d imagined, and less superficial than a l

I avoided Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits [...]” for years and years — but when I finally read it, it was much deeper than I’d imagined, and less superficial than a lot of “self help” books out there. One central habit in the book is around “saw sharpening” and essentially making time to invest in yourself, so ultimately you can invest in interpersonal relationships. It’s kind of a “hierarchy of needs”. You need time, and money — and sometimes neither seem to be available. I can’t do the whole thing justice here, but for the sake of advancing my point — it begins with sorting out what’s urgent and important from what’s trivial and unimportant, and learning to be proactive. Personal finance is something to consider as well, because saving and reducing expenses can buy you some additional flexibility in your life. With some spare time and money, you get to the question of — what do I do next? How do I learn, where do I start? Personally, I think the best way to learn is to build something! Build something that you’re passionate about, and try to solve a problem. Then, see if you can demonstrate value to others — speak to real people who use your product, empathize, and try to make it better. In terms of big company vs startup, both — like anything — have their ups-and-downs. In my experience, if there’s something worth optimizing for it’s this: try to work with great people. Kind, brilliant, considerate people.