They're not that different from you

"Nobody's built like you, you design yourself." Jay-Z once spat this wisdom in a song and I think about it a lot.

Especially when I'm looking at those people we put on pedestals - the ones who seem to have it all figured out.

You know the kind - they're the kind of people who just get it.

They're like those cool nerds who spend their weekends doing something completely out of the left field - instead of just frying their eyeballs on the latest Netflix show.

Why am I bringing this up?

I've just finished rereading a section in a mammoth of a book. A book I consider to be a proper recipe book for success.

Marc Andreessen, a guy who's about as far from your average nerd as you can get, had some interesting insights. He's a man who's fascinated by what nerds do in their spare time. When they're not coding or working on their day jobs. They’re often already using future technology so Andreessen pays attention. "That's when things get really interesting," he says.

And you know what, he’s got a point.

After all, wasn't it a weekend project for Kevin Systrom that turned into Instagram?

And how many successful side hustles were born out of an evening's tinkering or a Sunday morning 'just-for-fun' project?

And the kicker? Those folks you look up to, those people you think are miles ahead of you - they're not that different from you.

Let that sink in. Andreessen said: “[The people who made things in the past] are not that different from you. At the time they got started, they were just like you… so there’s nothing stopping any of the rest of us from doing the same things.”

Sure, they might have a few more zeros in their bank accounts now, but once upon a time, they were just like you.

They had a dream, an idea, a vision.

And they worked their butts off to make it a reality.

So what's stopping you?

This book I'm talking about - Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss.

It's hefty (736 pages!), but packed with gold nuggets from the likes of Elon Musk (sharing his vision of multiplanetary existence), Malcolm Gladwell (exploring the underdogs' secret weapons), Jamie Foxx (with insights on dealing with fear), and Seth Godin (diving into how to think about marketing and storytelling in today's digital age).

Each night you can pick one person's wisdom, and you'll go to bed smarter and more inspired.

And that’s my Weekend Tip for today. If you read my book Forbidden, you might have already got that tip. So pick it up and find a recipe that’s fitting for you today.

And remember, you're not different from those people you admire - you're just not there yet.

Catch you next time,

Tino

PS: And don't forget Andreessen's other piece of advice: "Smart people should make things." So, what are we making this weekend? Make sure to forward this e-mail to someone who could start making with us so they can subscribe here.