Mementum

I have a rule: if the toilet seat is up, the phone remains in my pocket. I adhere to this with dogmatic loyalty.

The upside of checking that email or having fun scrolling to nothing in particular is just too small, and the downside far too great. Sure, the likelihood of catastrophe is small, but what if.

Is seeing that email 10 seconds sooner worth dunking your device?

It’s a high risk maneuver whose possible ROI is minuscule. There are other examples, like throwing that pillow to your buddy when his glass hookah is lit (Just walk it over, friend.)… or dropping all your dimes on some mildly useful idea that just might work, hoping it becomes the next big consumer web app.

On the other hand, there are low risk moves with huge possible returns. Talking to that girl next to you. Building a web app in a defined, existing market that HARK! you could charge someone $5 every month to continue using.

These low risk high return moves get far less publicity. They aren’t sexy.

But I bet if you spent your life on them, you’d come out much more successful.