If you’re young and ambitious but don’t know what to work on,
don’t try to figure it out with some systematic procedure.
Instead, optimize for interestingness.
Read biographies of people you admire.
Notice how they found their work —
often by accident, curiosity, or a side path they didn’t expect.
Try lots of things.
Read books.
Explore subjects that catch your attention.
Remember: fields change.
What’s taught in school may not match what’s happening now.
Experiment with different kinds of work.
Find what’s interesting to you.
That’s where you’ll do your best work.
If you’re interested in things others aren’t,
you might be onto something big.
Strange paths can lead to the most rewarding places.
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