Guiding Principles

This page is a work-in-progress, so check back every once in a while. Last modified Jun 9 2009.

Isoquant Guiding Principles
I am trying to develop a “repository” standard to demonstrate the concept of an online “repository” as a separate function of the persona from the “blog”. I do this using a system of principles – principles which I propose can be adopted regardless of cultural background or subject matter. Though I deviate from them often, the content on Isoquant is informed by the few principles I have formulated, being:

  • Currency: An explicit, manageable commitment toward regular content updating across all permanently prominent areas of the site. To ensure that an Isoquant-standard website is generally relevant, cognizant of the implicit mutual commitment between reader and author, and records activity even across periods of offline commitments. To track outdated articles, all writing should be postmarked with last-modified dates.
  • Simplicity: Writing should express ideas simply, but not stupidly. Every word should add, never repeat, something to the meaning. Communication works by having the receiver get the message, nothing else matters more.
  • Vividness: Specifically, in level of description and in terms of multimedia content. For example, in Isoquant, each post is accompanied by a suitable picture. In level of description, examples should be given where an important point may not be immediately obvious.
  • Accountability: All online content is in the public domain. The author has the responsibility of watching his words, just as a reader has the right to full disclosure. (With a view towards both personal and professional relationships)
  • Taxonomy: A repository should establish a well-defined lexicon that encompasses the entirety of its worldview, where possible. Things are defined as much by what they are as what they are not.
  • Economy: Of attention. Nobody, including yourself, wants to read 10,000 words about how bad your Sunday brunch was, though it might seriously trouble you at the time.

Personal Guiding Principles
A collection of well-said quotes, and important thoughts we would all do well to keep in mind. Sources acknowledged. For the full list of quotes that appear in the Isoquant sidebar on the right, download quotes.

Philosophical Approaches

  1. “Shakespeare” Caution: “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
  2. “Mgmt 100″ Interdependence: Admit you need help. It makes you friends, it is not a sign of weakness, it draws the best from both parties.
  3. Self: Love, like friendship, is a two way street. (post)
  4. Self: The key to success is managing your signal-to-noise ratio and cutting through that of others’.
  5. JK Rowling: “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”
  6. Self: Unsolicited help is unwanted help, which is no help at all.
  7. Gretchen Rubin “Time Value of Time”: The Days are Long, but the Years are Short. (post)

Leadership/Management/Teamwork Guidelines

  1. “Ed Rendell” Presence: “Leadership is first and foremost about showing up.”
  2. “Hwa Chong Motto”: “Live with Passion, Lead with Compassion.”
  3. Self: “Leadership (of capable, committed teams) is the generation of an inspiring vision and the clear communication of that vision.”
  4. “Greenspan” Facts vs. Opinions: “Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts.”
  5. Self: Trust is the hardest currency to earn, easiest to spend.

Negotiation Guidelines

  1. Self: Establish Expectations before a Negotiation (post)

Rhetoric/Public Speaking Lessons

  1. Aristotle: Use cue words to incite audience interest at key points: “Now this is especially important to you because…”
  2. Self: Repeat important points. Repeat Important Points.

Educational Philosophy

  1. “Doug Coulter” Selflessness: “My goal in teaching you is for you to one day realize you don’t need me.”
  2. Self: Students learn the most when the teacher is not “teaching”. i.e., Learning by doing. Identify the difference between knowledge (or ideas) and knowhow (or skills).

Approaches to Finance (Personal, Corporate, Financial Services, Macroeconomy)

  1. “Michael Pettis” Trader’s Indifference: “There is fundamentally no difference between debt and equity.”
  2. (Multiple sources) Time-Value Foolishness: “Penny wise, pound foolish.”
  3. “Boilerplate” Extrapolation Warning: “Past is not prologue.”
  4. “Keynesian” Fallacy of Composition: The macro level behaves differently from the micro.
  5. “Buffett” Mr. Market Approach: “Price is what you pay, value is what you get.”
  6. Self: Value creation comes from liquidity provision as well but most directly from the direct financing of quality investments. 85% of active traders underperform the S&P. The incentive structures in liquidity provision are also essentially indistinguishable from zero-sum “theft”.
  7. Self: All probabilistic approaches should account for risk of ruin. The strategy of doubling a bet on a 50-50% binary outcome after a loss is profitable except for the fact that you have to stop when you run out of cash.

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Principles I don’t dispute but don’t respect

  1. (Multiple sources) Aimless Wilfulness: “You should do what you love.” What do you love?
  2. “Be yourself.” Do most people even know what they are and who they are? Dumb advice, even if true.
  3. “Live every day as if it were your last.” Then you’d never save ANY money. Dumb. better to “End every day with no regrets.”