Reader,

It’s easy to look around, ask what is trending, and hop on it. But it can be difficult sometimes to do what isn’t popular although it aligns with our values and aspirations for what we want to create in the world.

I’m not talking about social media trends…I’m talking broader cultural, social, or even career trends.

But let’s talk about social media trends—it’s a good example for the point I want to make:

During the pandemic, we saw a lot of trends on social media that garnered billions of views. Today, no one remembers them. Imagine pitching your tent on #bopdaddychallenge? Remember that?

But it doesn’t mean people did not benefit—thousands did. For example, those in fashion. They already had the clothes, the swag, the audience. So they had speed and quality of delivery. In a way they didn’t chase the trend; the trend met them where they were.

In Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, he emphasised the role being at the right place at the right time played in the success of many figures.

But being at the right place at the right time & being able to capitalize on the opportunities, requires existing advantage.

That advantage can come in many forms: mastery through years of experience; culture and background; family and economic advantage, and so on.

Gladwell defined this as the Matthew effect of accumulated advantage: “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have abundance”.

There are two types of people:

1. Those who will chase trends
2. Those whom trends will meet ready

Be the second. Find your thing and double down.

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Talk next week,

Henry

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