Ikigai is a powerful concept for finding purpose and clarity to unlock growth in your career, startup, business, writing, or relationships.A thread on its meaning and how it can change your life...Ikigai is a combination of the Japanese words “iki” (or “life”) and “gai” (a term to describe value or worth).It roughly translates to “reason for being.”It is all-encompassing - it is not simply about work, money, or success - it is about the full scope of your existence.Ikigai is the point of balance and harmony in your life and work.It is found at the intersection of:What you love to doWhat you are good atWhat the world needsWhat you can be paid forImportantly, it is at the nexus of passion and practicality.The concept of Ikigai can be traced back to 12th century Japan, but its exact genesis is unknown.It gained a mainstream following after Dan Buettner’s famous 2009 Ted Talk on his research on Blue Zones (regions where people live longer than average).In his research, Dan Buettner found that purpose and fulfillment led to improved longevity.Put simply, embracing the concept of Ikigai contributed to enhanced health (mental and physical) and longer lifespans.To implement the concept of Ikigai in your life, create your personal Ikigai Venn diagram.Start with the passions: What do you truly love to do? What are you really good at? What can you become good at?Now get practical: What does the world need? What will it pay you for?The elegance of the concept of Ikigai is in its blend of passion and practicality.Life is a multivariate problem. Simple, uniplanar solutions and one-size-fits-all mantras fall short.Ikigai recognizes this and forces a dynamic, systems approach to finding purpose.Separately, for those of you who are interested in growing your audience on Twitter, I will be co-hosting a cohort-based course with my good friend Julian Shapiro that will teach you tactics for building an audience. You can sign up here to be on the list and learn more. Stay tuned - it’s going to be great.Subscribe now and follow me on Twitter so you never miss a thread.Until next time, stay curious, friends! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sahilbloom.substack.com

The story of the week in the business world is the blockage of the Suez Canal by a massive container ship. Weighing 200,000 metric tons, dislodging the ship is no easy problem to solve.But while it happened in 2021, the roots of this problem date back to 1937, when a truck driver from North Carolina had a simple idea that would completely change the world.Malcolm Purcell McLean was born in 1913 in Maxton, North Carolina.The son of a farmer, McLean learned the value of hard work from a young age.Unable to afford college, he went to work at a gas station. By age 21, he had saved enough money to buy a used truck.It was from these humble beginnings that Malcolm McLean founded McLean Trucking Co. in 1934.The business focused on transporting empty tobacco barrels, livestock feed, and produce. Originally confined to the Mid-Atlantic, McLean Trucking quickly expanded its reach.In 1937, after completing a haul from Fayetteville to Hoboken, McLean was forced to wait for hours in his hot truck while the stevedores worked their way to his load.He realized there had to be a more efficient way to do all of this.The current method - with individual crates unloaded by stevedores, placed into a sling, and lifted into the ship's hold - was time consuming, expensive, and inefficient.As he continued to build a trucking empire over the next decade, the idea constantly gnawed at him.By 1955, Malcolm McLean had built McLean Trucking Co. into one of the largest trucking operations in the country, with >1,700 trucks and locations.But the future he envisioned went well beyond trucking, so he set out to build a new reality.McLean dreamed up a standardized truck trailer that could be easily loaded and stacked onto ships or trains.In his mind, "containerized cargo" was to be the future of shipping and logistics.Efficient logistics would mean improved commerce and a thriving economy.In 1955, to expand his reach, he sought to acquire Pan-Atlantic Steamship Company - a cargo and passenger operation with docking rights at key port cities.But when railroad executives attempted to block the deal on anti-trust grounds, McLean was forced to make a decision.Malcolm McLean decided to bet on himself and his big idea. He sold his ownership stake in McLean Trucking for $6 million (~$58 million today) and used it to purchase Pan-Atlantic.He quickly set about to make his vision for the future of logistics into a reality.Renaming it Sea-Land Industries, in 1956, he purchased two World War II tankers and retrofitted them to carry his newly designed standardized containers.The SS Ideal X set sail on its maiden voyage in April 1956, carrying 58 of McLean's containers from New Jersey to Houston.With the initial success, McLean kicked off a marketing tour to convince key players to rethink their operations.With 25% lower transportation costs, safer storage, and cheaper insurance, he won over customers.With lower port labor costs, he won over port authorities.McLean's big idea for "containerization" took the shipping and logistics world by storm.By the late-1960s, Sea-Land Industries had 27,000+ containers, 36 ships, and covered 30 major ports.McLean had built the single largest cargo shipping business in the world.In 1969, R.J. Reynolds purchased Sea-Land Industries for $530 million (~$3.8 billion today).Malcolm McLean personally made $160 million (~$1.1 billion today) on the sale.His transformation from truck driver to global shipping magnate was officially complete.The legend of Malcolm McLean's innovation extends well-beyond his personal success."Containerization" enabled the rapid expansion of global trade. Without it, our global economy would simply not be possible, and the Suez Canal blockage may never have occurred.Malcolm McLean died in 2001 at age 87, but his legacy lives on.For more on the amazing story of Malcolm McLean and the containerization of the world, I highly recommend reading The Box by Marc Levinson.For those of you who are interested in growing your audience on Twitter or your newsletter, I will be co-hosting a cohort-based course with my good friend Julian Shapiro that will teach you tactics for building an audience. You can sign up here to be on the list and learn more. Stay tuned - it’s going to be great.Subscribe now and follow me on Twitter so you never miss a thread.Until next time, stay curious, friends! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sahilbloom.substack.com

To outperform, you need serious competitive advantages.But contrary to what you have been told, most of them don't require talent.10 competitive advantages that you can start developing today:1. Intellectual CuriosityIntellectual curiosity is a real-world superpower.We all have it, but most will never embrace it.For the curious mind, anything is possible.Fortune favors the curious mind.2. Comfort with DiscomfortWe are conditioned to avoid discomfort, so most of us do.The problem?Discomfort leads to growth. It is an absolute necessity.If you train yourself to accept and embrace discomfort, you will always have an edge.3. Simplify Where Others Complicate"The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple."Complexity and jargon are often used to mask a lack of deep understanding.Learn to convey extremely complex ideas in simple, digestible ways.Find beauty in simplicity.4. High Tolerance for FailureWe fear failure, so most of us play it safe to avoid it.But our greatest moments of growth often stem directly from our greatest failures.Do not accept failure, but do not fear it either.You will fail. Embrace it. Learn to fail smart and fast.5. Low Time PreferenceLife is a long game.Those with low time preference play it more effectively - they happily delay gratification to build real value.In a world of people seeking instant gratification, this is a meaningful edge.6. AntifragilityIn Greek mythology, the Hydra is a creature that has multiple heads. Every time one head is cut off, two grow back in its place.Life is random and chaotic.Do not be broken by this chaos and disorder; rather, adopt a mentality that you will benefit from it.7. PresenceWith the rise of technology - and the instant access to millions of people and things that it has provided - the ability to be truly present has become a rarity.When you are with someone - whether a new business contact, friend, or partner - be WITH them.Be present.8. Relentless ConsistencyMany people are able to produce bursts of energy. Few people are able to produce consistent, steady flows of energy.The former might be flashy, but the latter is relentless.Take pride in punching the clock - in showing up - day in, day out.9. Noise CancellationThe world is a noisy place. We are constantly hammered by stimuli competing for our attention.The ability to cancel out the noise - to truly focus on the task at hand - is both broadly applicable and extremely powerful.10. Be YourselfThe most important competitive advantage.Always be yourself.No one can compete with you, at being you.These are 10 competitive advantages that do not require talent. What are some others that you would add to the list?Enjoy this and want to share it with family and friends? You can find the original thread below. Subscribe now and follow me on Twitter so you never miss a thread.Until next time, stay curious, friends! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sahilbloom.substack.com