Recognize Mimetic Contagion
ManagementUnderstand that rivalries and desires are not isolated but can spread quickly through a group, leading to collective conflict.
Hall of Masters
Jim O'Shaughnessy
짐 오쇼너시
Investing and capital allocationBorn 1960
Quantitative investor, author of What Works on Wall Street, founder of O'Shaughnessy Ventures
2,844 records in all
- Principles 974
- Episodes 563
- Quotes 1,307
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Principles
146 basic records of 974
Principles are our summary of their public statements.
Recognize the impermanence of self
LearningUnderstand that the self is interdependent and changing to reduce the 'lack' that drives the competitive desire to establish identity through objects.
Value Execution Over Ideas
CreativityIdeas themselves have little value because everyone has them; the real value lies in the ability to execute and produce proof of work.
Master the Exponential Function
MindsetOne must recognize that humans are naturally bad at intuitive math, so deliberate effort is needed to understand exponential growth and compounding.
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Recognize Dual-Sided Compounding
StrategyCompounding is a neutral force that can work for or against a business; founders must ensure their systems favor positive compounding.
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Recognize Collapsing Boundaries
TechnologyTechnology is collapsing the constraints of time and space, allowing for global connectivity that bypasses old gatekeepers.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Leverage Technology to Lower Costs
ProductivityNew technologies like AI allow small operations to generate high-quality content and ideas at a fraction of the traditional cost.
Perspective Through Hardship
ResilienceRemembering early failures or difficult physical labor provides a baseline of resilience that makes modern professional stress easier to handle.
Meaning Through Friction
LifeMeaning is not something to be found passively; it is forged through physical, psychological, and emotional interaction with life's complexities and challenges.
Supporting quotes
I think on the good side, it allows people who are always worried and terrified what other people will think of them to stop falsifying their preferences and actually like material
Source Jim O'Shaughnessy Finding Method In The Madness, 2024 (opens in a new tab)
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Value Lies in Surprise
ContentInformation that is predictable has low value; to capture attention and provide real signal, content must contain elements of surprise or novelty.
Supporting quotes
How do you think I made it through being in the media all those years? I completely ignored the question and then answered the one I wanted to.
a political speech has zero information because it has no new or surprising things. A poem is just chock-a-block full of information because people are surprised.
Source Jim O'Shaughnessy Finding Method In The Madness, 2024 (opens in a new tab)
1 more supporting quote is in the member records.
Ignore Outlier Advice
StrategyAdvice based on the habits of the top 0.01% is often irrelevant or harmful to those in different wealth brackets.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Beware of legacy system complacency
CompetitionHaving a reliable but old system can lead to complacency, allowing competitors with no legacy infrastructure to leapfrog ahead with newer technology.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Resist Systemic Paralysis
StrategyOne should recognize when excessive rules and regulations lead to stasis and actively seek ways to deliver effective results despite them.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Build sunsets into systems
ManagementRegulations and processes should have expiration dates to prevent them from becoming obsolete and obstructive over time.
Supporting quotes
if they're not going to change, I can start a publishing company that uses all these new technologies and innovations that writers are gonna love.
Source Jim O'Shaughnessy China Us And Our Collective Future, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Bet on foundational strengths
StrategyIt is often safer to bet on a system regaining a skill it once mastered than on a system adopting a completely foreign cultural or political framework.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Walk across the bridge of nihilism
MindsetInstead of letting the lack of objective meaning lead to despair, use it as a license to define your own values and purpose.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Cross-Discipline Problem Solving
TeamEncourage experts from different fields to interact because their unique lenses can identify flaws that a specialist might miss.
Trust is a developmental curve
StrategyMarkets often start in a low-trust state with high friction and evolve toward high trust as users become accustomed to new systems.
3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Regulatory environment attracts talent
StrategyEntrepreneurs naturally migrate toward jurisdictions with friendly laws and favorable venture terms.
Supporting quotes
Do you still see a diaspora of people of some of the brightest minds and who would make natural entrepreneurs?
Source Jim O'Shaughnessy Exploring Indus Valley, 2024 (opens in a new tab)
2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.
Reimagine Traditional Industry Relationships
StrategyJim O'Shaughnessy seeks to completely reimagine the relationship between publishers, authors, and readers through new ventures.
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