the L factor
this is how I personally think about luck
work done * L = results
the L here is luck. it is just a multiplier. nothing more, nothing less.
now what does that actually imply?
if you put in zero work, then even if you are the luckiest person in the world, the result is still zero. zero multiplied by anything is still zero.
on the other hand, if you keep putting in the work, the results start to grow. sometimes slowly, sometimes fast, depending on the value of L at that moment.
so the amount of work you do is always directly proportional to the results. the harder and smarter you work, the bigger the base number becomes. luck only scales what is already there.
think of it like a game character. work is your base stats. luck is the buff you sometimes get.
if your base stats are zero, even the best buff in the game won’t help you win. but if you’ve already built strong stats, even a small buff can make a big difference.
now the interesting question is: what exactly is luck? and can you do something about it?
I recently came across an idea:
doing × telling = luck
the idea is simple. doing is the actual work. learning, building, coding, writing, shipping projects, solving problems.
telling is visibility. sharing what you are doing. writing about it. talking to people. posting your learnings. contributing in public. letting the world know that you exist.
if you only do and never tell, your work stays invisible. and invisible work rarely attracts opportunities.
it is like building a great product and locking it in your room. it might be amazing, but no one knows it exists.
telling doesn’t guarantee luck. it just increases the surface area for luck to hit you. more people see your work, more opportunities can find you.
so maybe luck is not some magical force. maybe it is just a multiplier that gets bigger when:
- you keep doing meaningful work
- and you keep telling the world about it
to conclude,
focus on the part you control.
put your head down and work hard. share your journey.
don’t overthink things that are out of your hands.
just do the best you can with what you have right now.
adios!