Julian Shapiro @Julian Twitter profile

Pinned Tweet

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

2 years

The most interesting thing I learned last year is this mental model for generating world-class writing.

200

1K

8K

Last Seen Profiles

@bntalta79167095

@fe3htrash

@mgode7non2014

@morcheeba

@ETXprepare

@JemmaKenley426

@Sunny94FM

@GaHa1315275

@ChetStorm

@B4bybitchh

@_ru2to

@RoseYenner5607

@Riley1Lisa

@Colts

@y_muu0

@Marcosard99

@RefactorRBX

@Mazen51257

@jahwary

@tat_busch

@CarlosA01951926

@MiL_cos

@2WW2wwp9

@suzu_po0808

@amal6597

@TeamGushue

@bntalta79167095

@Mclaughlin72308

@_callme_val

@FrenchRapUS

@miosobsessions

@ECI2018

@JJavierum

@arnulfobohorque

@AmeAkari15

@srlouji

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

THREAD: 10 significant lies you're told about the world. On startups, writing, and your career:

524

11K

36K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

2 years

A rare find for my fellow movie nerds. This is Christopher Nolan’s hand drawn plot map for his film Inception.

240

3K

21K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

People don't have short attention spans: • They finish 3 hour Joe Rogan episodes. • They binge 14 hour shows. They have short *consideration spans:* they must be hooked quickly. Point: Don't fear making great, in-depth content. But, ensure your first minute is incredible.

59

2K

11K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

Most friends aren't friends. They're acquaintances. Friends phone you out-of-the-blue because they want to hear your voice. Friends would drive you to the emergency room at 3 AM. Friends are the family you choose, and they're key to happiness in old age. Invest in good people.

54

3K

11K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

Success isn't an end state. Success is having the freedom to focus on the grind you actually enjoy. Most people should spend way less energy trying to get rich and way more energy building a tight-knit friend group that will be with them until old age.

24

1K

9K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

9 months

I'm finally done. I automated my home with 30+ smart home gadgets. Sensors are everywhere—all across the farm. I feel like a crazy person. My most clever home automations so far:

265

737

8K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

1 year

i finally did it! i eliminated all mosquitos. haven't seen one in ages the technique: - fill buckets with water, dirt, grass - place buckets in shade, spread 50ft apart - put a "mosquito dunk" ($0.50 each) in each - wait 6 weeks that's it! it works because...

178

962

8K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

Reading many books is the most socially accepted vanity metric for adults. You get zero kudos for reading 100 books a year. You get massive kudos for learning efficiently and making interesting things.

28

1K

8K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

Bloggers who post frequently (2x/wk) are rarely worth reading consistently. I read for insights. And no writer can generate profound insights on a fixed schedule. I aggregate writers who publish sporadically. When they post, they truly have something to say.

80

883

8K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

In observing friends who’ve sold startups and made millions: After a year, they’re back to toying with their old side projects. They used their money to buy a nice home and eat well. That’s it. They’re otherwise back to who they were. Point: Aim to be fulfilled, not rich.

22

704

7K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

The world is not run by exceptional people. This is the hidden reason for imposter syndrome. We mistakenly think imposter syndrome is due to low confidence/anxiety. No, it’s caused by not accepting that your new, world-class peers aren’t that special. It’s mostly discipline.

21

1K

7K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

2 years

Bi-annual public service announcement: If you want to avoid 95% of promotional spam in your inbox, just set up a Gmail filter that moves any email with the word "Unsubscribe" into a separate folder. Welcome to a clean inbox.

57

585

7K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

My day job is growing startups. I've worked with a few hundred by now. Here's how to grow your podcast, newsletter, blog, YouTube, and Twitter. Hope this helps! A thread:

212

1K

7K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

2 years

How can some people write so beautifully? 1/ Two of my favorite writing techniques:

133

1K

6K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

One of the most important images I've seen. The difference between happiness, meaning, and true psychological richness. From research by @ErinWestgate

74

1K

6K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

If you construct your identity on what you’re a fan of (sports, media, brands), you’re a vessel. You’re lending out ownership over your identity. Instead, if you construct your identity on the things you create, you’re a craftsperson—someone who keeps refining who they are.

19

916

6K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

"You should work your butt off in your 20s." This misses the point. Your primary goal isn't to work hard. Your goal is to build leverage. How? Start with delegation: "Find someone who can do what you do at 70% the success. Teach them the extra 10% and be okay with 80%."

22

720

5K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

People don't have short attention spans: • They finish 3 hour Joe Rogan episodes. • They binge 14 hour shows. They have short *consideration spans:* they must be hooked quickly. Point: Don't fear making great, in-depth content. But, ensure your first minute is incredible.

76

685

5K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

And the biggest lie there is.

98

580

5K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

8 months

Younger people need to stop waiting around thinking that older folks—especially politicians—are going to fix the world. The average age of the moon landing control room was 28. The average age of the Manhattan Project scientist was 25. US Founding Fathers were only...

109

623

5K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

Call your parents via Zoom and record it ❤️ Ask them to recount their childhood, major life events, and their passions. Essentially, record a podcast interview of their life. You’ll be so glad you have this when they’re no longer here. It really beats just having photos.

95

735

5K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

This thread helps explain how Taylor Swift, Frank Ocean, and Christopher Nolan consistently generate great work:

69

913

4K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and Drake generate non-stop hits for years. What are they doing differently? Thread: How to generate way more ideas

115

1K

5K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

A funny lie of adult life is pretending we'll act on advice we collect: I don't revisit bookmarks. I rarely re-open Google docs. I don’t re-read Kindle highlights. Until today, my friends. I finally realized how to turn notes into action:

146

660

4K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

This is my 5 year story about becoming a far better storyteller. Goal: Tell a story as well as Neil deGrasse Tyson. It started with me podcasting to share stories with friends. Every time I spoke, however, I sounded lifeless like a stressed-out amateur. Why?

150

664

4K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

2 years

Most friends aren't friends. They're acquaintances. Friends phone you out-of-the-blue because they want to hear your voice. Friends would drive you to the emergency room at 3am. Friends are the family you choose, and they're key to happiness in old age. Invest in good people.

63

703

4K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

Beware signing up for tools that can read your email. This includes inbox apps and Chrome extensions. You're giving a team of 20-year-olds access to the equivalent of your ID, bank vault, and diary combined. Online privacy is an illusion.

12

558

4K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

1 year

I saw a famous YouTuber crying his eyes out in a thumbnail I clicked He's notorious for calling out fake sales claims Here, he tests $4K headphones said to play music so intensely they make you involuntarily cry. He roasts 'em. Then 11min later, he cries. Why do they work? 🧵

118

369

4K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

For aspiring writers: Your ultimate goal isn't building a writing habit. It's falling so in love with interesting ideas that you can’t help but tell the world about them. Writing is the medium—not the objective.

51

485

3K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

I spent 300 hours writing a guide on how to write well. Enjoy!

Writing Well Handbook by Julian Shapiro

Learn how to write well. Topics include figuring out what to write about, how to write an introduction, the writing process, writing style, and copyediting.

www.julian.com

65

476

3K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

1 year

I want to explain why venture capitalists give 21 year olds $30,000,000 to pursue startup ideas. What's going through their heads? What specifically are investors looking for today? Here's how I've seen VCs' minds work after 4 years:

104

363

3K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

What’s the most beautiful piece of writing you’ve ever come across? Bonus points if you can screenshot a paragraph and share it below. I’ll consider including it in my writing guide. Props to anyone who takes the time ❤️

491

483

3K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

I don't treat my calendar as a blank surface to pile events onto. I think of it as a ledger of how many times I've traded my time away.

31

287

3K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

2 years

People don't have short attention spans: • They binge 14 hour Netflix seasons • They listen to 3 hour Joe Rogan episodes They have short *consideration spans:* they must be hooked quickly. Point: Don't fear making in-depth content, but ensure your beginning is incredible.

67

386

3K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

2 years

This is my 5 year story about becoming a far better storyteller. Goal: Hold the audience's attention as well as Neil deGrasse Tyson. I started with podcasting. But, every time I spoke, I sounded like a buffoon. Why?

131

333

3K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

Working hard for a long time without asking what are the better things to be working on is a hidden form of laziness.

44

424

2K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

The smartest people I’ve met: They retrain their minds to enjoy being wrong. They get a dopamine hit when proven wrong because they’re excited to be closer to the truth. The truth is addictive. In contrast, if you refuse to lose a debate, your brain keeps running old firmware.

37

504

2K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

2 years

Awesome visual of what people mean when they describe the likelihood of something: Source:

29

242

2K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

You’re on your deathbed surrounded by family. You’re old and you’ve lived a wonderful life. Your grandson hands you a smartphone and asks you to Tweet a final time. What do you tweet? 😂

1K

91

2K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

2 years

Most people still don't know how to hire. I've messed up enough times to feel strongly about one thing now: The best employees I've worked with are all very, very curious. 1/ Now I know how to find curious people and hire them:

35

221

2K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

1/ An intro to startup growth. Most fast-growing startups have something in common: Product-led growth (PLG) I define it as when existing users drive your growth.* PLG only works for these startups:

41

238

1K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

2 years

I spent 300 hours writing a guide on how to write well. Enjoy! As always, it's free.

Writing Well Handbook by Julian Shapiro

Learn how to write well. Topics include figuring out what to write about, how to write an introduction, the writing process, writing style, and copyediting.

www.julian.com

34

198

1K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

Here's a video of John Mayer showing off the Creativity Faucet in real-time:

24

129

1K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

2 years

Writing technique 1: Don't always be direct Instead of saying "the day was hot," you could write "even the bugs were looking for air conditioning." That's what I call a second-order description: describe the *impact* caused by the hot day—instead of saying it's a hot day.

9

63

1K

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

After years of thinking about it, I finally launched a podcast! Sat down with: • James Clear • Alexandra Botez • Wait But Why • Everyday Astronaut • Shaan Puri • Mark Manson • Liv Boeree • Sam Parr Podcasting AMA for 30min! I'm not an expert 😂

61

990

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

9 months

Next, I have a robot lawn mower that covers 1 acre. It pays for itself in 6 mo given the cost of lawn mowing here. It's dead quiet. No more lawnmower noise. It uses GPS, then drives itself back to its charging station when done, and recharges itself. The Husqvarna Automower.

18

25

871

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

I'll start with some great ones from last time: From @amamyyang

11

58

831

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

8 months

18, 20, 21, 25, 33, 40, 41, 44. The founders of big startups like Dropbox, Airbnb, Instacart... quite young. You get the idea. The point is that history *expects* young folks to solve their own problems. Now, this doesn't mean that older folks aren't critical.

19

40

823

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

8 months

It just means that young folks are indeed part of the solution. Most 20-somethings don't realize that, and think "getting the word out" is all they can do. No, the lesson of history: Don't expect the people before you to save your world for you.

14

64

775

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

9 months

Anyway, onto home automations. Speaking of bugs, I stopped them from coming inside with this automation: When a door opens, a sensor turns on an overhead fan that creates a downward current mosquitos can't get past. Sensor = Eve Door Device that turns fan on = Kasa Smart Plug

4

13

773

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

How to grow a YouTube channel: • Describe the video's value in the first five seconds • Ask a question you don't resolve until the last five seconds • With YT algo, 1 amazing video > 10 good videos • Quick cuts don't give people time to ask if they're bored —Mr. Beast

8

39

746

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

By the way, these are my notes on style taken from my writing handbook. It's free—there's nothing to sell you.

Writing Well Handbook by Julian Shapiro

Learn how to write well. Topics include figuring out what to write about, how to write an introduction, the writing process, writing style, and copyediting.

www.julian.com

27

97

705

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

9 months

It'll broadcast wifi in only a 90 degree pattern. So if you want long-range wifi in 360 degrees, you'll need to buy 4. I mesh-connect it to my main wifi. Now I can roam far away from my home and my phone auto-switches between routers. Router: TP-Link EAP610-Outdoor

13

22

673

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

Recap: • It's difficult to finish a project if you're not convinced it's among the best uses of your time. • Research enough to get started. Don't procrastinate by over-preparing. • A sync session—where you pair with a friend—can rally you into action.

51

75

615

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

How to grow a podcast: • Be YouTube-first; do video • Split eps into 8min YouTube clips with SEO’d titles • Get guests that are searched for on YouTube • Consider not publishing bad eps • Exchange eps with other shows • Niche is fine, but be widely accessible

12

26

592

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

9 months

First, another breakthrough on preventing bugs: In addition to solving mosquitos (see the last tweet on my profile), I've solved flies too. Buy this product, trust me: "RESCUE! Outdoor Disposable Hanging Fly Trap" The most effective fly trap on Amazon.

25

16

585

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

And now for principles from me: • Luck is a function of surface area. • In your career, prioritize what compounds. • You escape your local maximum by remaining curious. • Success isn't an end state. Success is having the freedom to pursue the continual grind you most enjoy.

7

47

565

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

Growth marketing, a timeline: 2015: "We need to go viral." 2017: "Well, we raised $25m of VC. Let's dump it on Facebook ads." 2021: "Wow. We should have been focusing on content and building a great product."

2

51

541

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

Here's an interview where Ed Sheeran talks about the faucet:

4

54

551

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

1 year

after a couple generations of breeding into buckets, with no offspring to show, the population dies out. the reason this works is news to me: i thought mosquitos were migratory—like birds. but they're not. they stay near the area they were born! that's the key. check this:

3

21

552

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

A craftsperson is someone who makes work the best it can be. Counterintuitively, it’s not output that matters most to the craftsperson. It’s honing a process that generates increasingly good output over time. You cannot be a craftsperson unless the process is the reward.

4

60

533

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

4 years

Getting Twitter followers: • Learn copywriting—punch + clarity • Respond to big accounts quickly w/ insights • Write for retweets: focus on insights + stories • People retweet novelty, inspiration, tribal affiliation • Bio should say why ppl should follow. See mine: @julian

9

35

528

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

Respond with the weirdest photo in your camera roll. Don’t add any context. It's more fun that way. For example, don’t ask why this was in my phone 🤠

434

29

532

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

1 year

make sure you put the buckets in the shade so the sun doesn't evaporate the water. replace dunks monthly. the larger your property, the more buckets you'll want. i adapted this technique from a youtube video. i was skeptical. i am now a happy man.

19

13

540

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

From @Ugo_alves

12

84

522

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

You can be a person telling a story OR you can be a storyteller. Storytellers know something non-storytellers don’t: storytelling is the art of strategically withholding details. Before starting, decide which points to withhold until the end—to maximize suspense along the way.

2

48

515

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

#1 . Start with bad then iterate to great Making something bad then iterating until it’s good is way faster than making something good upfront.

4

51

497

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

“To suffer before it is necessary is to suffer more than necessary.” —Seneca “Half doing something is an expensive way of not doing it.” —Angela Jiang “Setting incentives is a superpower.” —Sam Altman (There's a bigger list on my website.)

4

32

496

Julian Shapiro

@Julian

3 years

From @VCFryer

2

49

489