We ask Warren Buffet why he invested in a company and he can try and create a mental construct as to how he thinks and how he invests in a company. But there are just as many details to Buffett’s activities, when he decides what to invest in and how he lives his life and how he thinks, as there are to Roger Federer’s body running around a tennis court, hitting a ball. At some level, the details are not transmissible. They’re not copyable.
[co-interviewer/ee] The things that you do greatest are the things that you know not how you do.
– Conquering the Mind, podcast with NavalR and KapilG
Engineers like myself value first-principles thinking. Following the path from observations back to first principles is useful. When it comes to building something back up from those principles, you’re best on your own.