Reading rank 308
Wait But Why
, subject: Tim Urban's blog and essays, 2013
Tim Urban’s blog Wait But Why weighs life’s largest choices: whom to share life with, what work to do, and how to spend finite time with family.
66
Coverage Score
13
Scored evidence
About this work
Launched in 2013, Wait But Why ranges from practical essays about procrastination and time to book-length explorations of Elon Musk's companies and other complex subjects.
Why read it
Best if you are choosing your life’s work or partner, weighing ambition against limited time with family, or holding back because you fear how your mistakes look to others.
Key themes
- Two choices shape much of a life
- Time with family is scarcer than it feels
- Look at your life from the outside
- Other people are not watching your mistakes
Evidence and original sources
Sources: official Founders episodes — #9, #18, #30, #43, #63, #81, #111, #141, #164, #187, #191, #195
This record is supported by 13 public evidence rows linked to original Founders episodes.
- I Invented the Modern Age: The Rise of Henry Ford — David says he has been reading Tim Urban's fantastic Wait But Why blog before discussing one of its Elon Musk essays.
- Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman — David says he has mentioned Wait But Why several times and that he really enjoys reading the site.
- Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future — David applies Tim Urban's Grand Theft Life idea to working hard, acting boldly, and living deliberately, and recommends reading the section.
- Ray Dalio: Principles: Life and Work — David calls Tim Urban one of his favorite writers, says Wait But Why is amazing, and tells listeners who have not read it that they should.
- The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich — David uses Tim Urban's Tail End essay to frame the scarcity of time with children and parents when judging what a successful life requires.
- Henry Royce (Founder of Rolls-Royce) — David applies Tim Urban's Grand Theft Life idea: view yourself from outside and act deliberately on the improvements your character needs.