(highlight:: Hire a researcher or expert consultant
I hired a researcher (Elizabeth Van Nostrand, whom you can and should hire too) to help write this very post, which is largely about how to hire people to do things!
They can:
Help validate whether a crazy idea is possible
Do epistemic spot checks of your work
Map the landscape of opinions on a topic
Write literature surveys
Find people worth talking to about a potential topic and writing briefs about them
Opposition or market research
Find options for big purchases like houses or insurance
Compile datasets
Find un-Googleable things
To find one:
Look for books or scholarly articles on the topic, and email the author
Graduate students are especially good, and often know more than the “experts”
If you find someone genuinely interested in what you’re working on, you might be able to collaborate and not pay
Look for interested individuals in the long tail of blogs
E.g. by Google searching with "site: medium.com" and finding the authors
Use a matchmaking service (see Appendix)
Search through professional organizations directories (e.g. Bar Association, American Academy of Pediatrics)
Google the topic +
“blog”
“podcast”
“expert witness”
“book”
“consultant”
“reddit”
What do I pay them?
Some post their prices online
If you’re hiring a grad student you can pay them at or above their school’s graduate student stipend, which you can Google.
Make sure they get something out of the project (and other tips))
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Ask questions online
You know those answers you enjoy reading on Stack Exchange, Reddit, Quora, etc.? Someone had to ask those questions. It can be you.
If you’re embarrassed by the question, it’s easy to be anonymous)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Hire a tutor
Language tutors are surprisingly cheap and better than any app
Wyzant and many other sites exist for general tutoring
For niche tutoring you can try general freelance sites like Fiverr or Upwork
Services like Sharpest Minds exist for professional training)
- No location available
-
- [note::Reminds me of what the alt protein guy at EAGxNYC did - super inspiring dude.]

Pick a spot on the map that simply seems strange and just go there. (HT Michael Nielsen)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Hire someone just as an excuse to make yourself complete a project
Sure you could proofread your own document. But if you hire a proofreader, you have to actually deliver them something at some point.)
- No location available
-

Ask your acquaintances, “Hey, I want to leave my house more, are there any cool events you’re going to soon?” (HT Sasha Chapin)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Actively try to make yourself a better conversation partner
Via Sasha Chapin
Via Chana Messinger
Via Adam Mastroianni)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Start a blog or substack so you can say “I’m a writer” without lying. Then start conversations with strangers by saying “Hi, I’m a writer doing a piece about <location/circumstance you’re in>. Can I ask you a few questions?”
This is especially handy when traveling or at a restaurant.)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Hire a coach
For your professional area
An Atul Gawande article on the subject
On clicker training
Personal trainer
Nutritionist
Meditation guide)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Buy task-specific devices that prevent multitasking
Kindle
Freewrite Traveller
Dedicated music players
Dedicated notebooks for specific purposes (day planner, exercise log, etc.))
- No location available
- productivity, intentionality,

(highlight:: Modify your stuff
Tape over annoying LED lights
Remove logos (example)
Write in books
Rip off tags
Rotate your monitor to portrait)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Write on a post-it note affixed to a greeting card rather than on the greeting card itself, so the recipient can throw away the post-it and reuse your card
Employ similar logic for any disposable/consumable item)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Ask for free upgrades or coupons
At checkout you can just ask “Do you have any coupons I can apply to this?”)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Don’t pay, or renegotiate, bills
Example with hospital bills)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Call/email executives at company to complain about things
E.g. using RocketReach)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Generate your own ebooks
1dollarscan.com)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Get verbal things written down
transcribeme.com
otter.ai)
- No location available
-

Personal assistant services (or a real PA if you can afford it
Magic, TaskRabbit, Fancy Hands, and similar services can approximate many of these.
There are also more serious services like Double.
Manage email
Helping you move
Getting visas and arranging travel
Stand in line for you
Errands
Filing paperwork)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Ignore what’s on the jobs page and directly pitch someone at a company on hiring you
The jobs page is always out-of-date anyway
Figure out what their needs are before you make your pitch)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Negotiate for better terms in your job offer
Easier than asking for a raise - you have more leverage
You can ask for a signing bonus equal to the cost of exercising all your options, which shows commitment to the company
Propose a longer vesting schedule to demonstrate commitment)
- No location available
-

Ask to waive admission or graduation requirements
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Drop out/quit your job
Or go on leave from your job/school until they kick you out. They often won’t.)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: If you can’t live off your savings, get a grant
Emergent Ventures
ACX Grants
Kickstarter
These days there are always new microgrant programs starting, here’s one list)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Cold contact people
Yes, even famous people. Or anyone who wrote something you like. Just make sure you have something to say or a good question.)
- No location available
-

Market-test a mere idea by (1) setting up a landing page with an interest form and (2) buying a cheap social media ad campaign. (HT @daytimeskye)
- No location available
-

Write interviews with yourself and send them to journalists (HT Tom Kalil)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Hire a researcher or expert consultant
I hired a researcher (Elizabeth Van Nostrand, whom you can and should hire too) to help write this very post, which is largely about how to hire people to do things!
They can:
Help validate whether a crazy idea is possible
Do epistemic spot checks of your work
Map the landscape of opinions on a topic
Write literature surveys
Find people worth talking to about a potential topic and writing briefs about them
Opposition or market research
Find options for big purchases like houses or insurance
Compile datasets
Find un-Googleable things
To find one:
Look for books or scholarly articles on the topic, and email the author
Graduate students are especially good, and often know more than the “experts”
If you find someone genuinely interested in what you’re working on, you might be able to collaborate and not pay
Look for interested individuals in the long tail of blogs
E.g. by Google searching with "site: medium.com" and finding the authors
Use a matchmaking service (see Appendix)
Search through professional organizations directories (e.g. Bar Association, American Academy of Pediatrics)
Google the topic +
“blog”
“podcast”
“expert witness”
“book”
“consultant”
“reddit”
What do I pay them?
Some post their prices online
If you’re hiring a grad student you can pay them at or above their school’s graduate student stipend, which you can Google.
Make sure they get something out of the project (and other tips))
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Ask questions online
You know those answers you enjoy reading on Stack Exchange, Reddit, Quora, etc.? Someone had to ask those questions. It can be you.
If you’re embarrassed by the question, it’s easy to be anonymous)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Hire a tutor
Language tutors are surprisingly cheap and better than any app
Wyzant and many other sites exist for general tutoring
For niche tutoring you can try general freelance sites like Fiverr or Upwork
Services like Sharpest Minds exist for professional training)
- No location available
-
- [note::Reminds me of what the alt protein guy at EAGxNYC did - super inspiring dude.]

Pick a spot on the map that simply seems strange and just go there. (HT Michael Nielsen)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Hire someone just as an excuse to make yourself complete a project
Sure you could proofread your own document. But if you hire a proofreader, you have to actually deliver them something at some point.)
- No location available
-

Ask your acquaintances, “Hey, I want to leave my house more, are there any cool events you’re going to soon?” (HT Sasha Chapin)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Actively try to make yourself a better conversation partner
Via Sasha Chapin
Via Chana Messinger
Via Adam Mastroianni)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Start a blog or substack so you can say “I’m a writer” without lying. Then start conversations with strangers by saying “Hi, I’m a writer doing a piece about <location/circumstance you’re in>. Can I ask you a few questions?”
This is especially handy when traveling or at a restaurant.)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Hire a coach
For your professional area
An Atul Gawande article on the subject
On clicker training
Personal trainer
Nutritionist
Meditation guide)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Buy task-specific devices that prevent multitasking
Kindle
Freewrite Traveller
Dedicated music players
Dedicated notebooks for specific purposes (day planner, exercise log, etc.))
- No location available
- productivity, intentionality,

(highlight:: Modify your stuff
Tape over annoying LED lights
Remove logos (example)
Write in books
Rip off tags
Rotate your monitor to portrait)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Write on a post-it note affixed to a greeting card rather than on the greeting card itself, so the recipient can throw away the post-it and reuse your card
Employ similar logic for any disposable/consumable item)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Ask for free upgrades or coupons
At checkout you can just ask “Do you have any coupons I can apply to this?”)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Don’t pay, or renegotiate, bills
Example with hospital bills)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Call/email executives at company to complain about things
E.g. using RocketReach)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Generate your own ebooks
1dollarscan.com)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Get verbal things written down
transcribeme.com
otter.ai)
- No location available
-

Personal assistant services (or a real PA if you can afford it
Magic, TaskRabbit, Fancy Hands, and similar services can approximate many of these.
There are also more serious services like Double.
Manage email
Helping you move
Getting visas and arranging travel
Stand in line for you
Errands
Filing paperwork)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Ignore what’s on the jobs page and directly pitch someone at a company on hiring you
The jobs page is always out-of-date anyway
Figure out what their needs are before you make your pitch)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Negotiate for better terms in your job offer
Easier than asking for a raise - you have more leverage
You can ask for a signing bonus equal to the cost of exercising all your options, which shows commitment to the company
Propose a longer vesting schedule to demonstrate commitment)
- No location available
-

Ask to waive admission or graduation requirements
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Drop out/quit your job
Or go on leave from your job/school until they kick you out. They often won’t.)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: If you can’t live off your savings, get a grant
Emergent Ventures
ACX Grants
Kickstarter
These days there are always new microgrant programs starting, here’s one list)
- No location available
-

(highlight:: Cold contact people
Yes, even famous people. Or anyone who wrote something you like. Just make sure you have something to say or a good question.)
- No location available
-

Market-test a mere idea by (1) setting up a landing page with an interest form and (2) buying a cheap social media ad campaign. (HT @daytimeskye)
- No location available
-

Write interviews with yourself and send them to journalists (HT Tom Kalil)
- No location available
-