1. Growth correlates poorly with time (and effort)

Growth correlates the strongest with applied leverage.

If I had to write a formula for growth, it would be:

Growth = ( Time^0.5 ) * Intensity of Effort * ( Leverage^2 )

• If your effort is focused (and thus, intense), you usually achieve the same amount of things in less time.
• If you work on higher-leverage stuff, you can achieve the same amount of things with less amounts of time and effort.

Thus, the “shortest route” is not necessarily the shortest one.

Don’t pick a route solely for its length.