*Date: 08/23/2023* On a recent flight to Mexico City for vacation, Anita noticed a price tag on the back of a recent book I purchased. Anita:” Where did you get that? “ Me: “On Amazon a few days ago.” Anita: “I hope you didn’t pay more than $3.99. “ Of course, I did. But 4 hours later, it was clear the extra $5 was worth it. In 1981, Leonard Mlodinow arrived at CalTech burdened by imposter syndrome as a new faculty member surrounded by the world’s brightest physicists. One of them was Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize winner famous for the Feynman Technique, who also happened to be dying of cancer. [Feynman’s Rainbow](https://www.amazon.com/Feynmans-Rainbow-Search-Beauty-Physics/dp/0307946495) is Mlodinow’s memoir of his brief time on campus with Feynman and their relationship during that period. It’s well worth the quick read for the life lessons alone, and I found many easily applicable to investing too. ### Are you a Babylonian or a Greek? Scientists divide themselves into tribes. Not the kind that rule Twitter (I refuse to call it X), but similarly passionate. Babylonians care only about solving any given problem. They’re uninterested in logic or the pathway to the finish line. They often violate the rules of the known and believe in the freedom to follow our instincts. Feynman was a Babylonian – choosing to see the world and intuit his way to solutions. On the other hand, Greeks respected systems and logic. Their primary concern was finding a solution that could be repeated. In many ways, investors want to be Greeks but are Babylonians. Today’s business landscape is so complex that no one solution is repeatable. When people get something wrong, it shouldn’t bother you that it was wrong. What should bother you is how many people saw it and couldn’t tell the difference. Everyone is following along. We have too few leaders and too many followers. Feynman spent many years refining path integrals, a problem solving technique that theorizes the order of events are irrelevant so long as the destination is correct. Business is a lot like this, there are several paths to get to the right answer, but it’s the right answer that matters. The velocity and inertia of today’s markets make this more difficult. People either care about speed to an answer or move along with the crowd, both are disastrous for long-term results. ### Find Problems Worth Solving When we think of physics, we rightly think of complicated formulas and concepts. Feynman preferred a simpler approach. Instead of leaning on hard-to-understand formulas, he focused on simple analogies and systems to make plausible guesses. He didn’t rely on mathematics but on imagination and physical understanding to create diagrams anyone could understand. This is an important lesson for investors and leaders. Regardless of your grasp of finance, creativity and communication usually win the day. Storytelling matters because we have to bring the math to life.  Feynman also understood that all problem-solving is not created equal. Problems are structured in two ways: 1. hard to find and easy to solve 2. easy to find and hard to solve Solving the first one creates very little value for most people. Solving the second type an change the world. Read that again. It’s a powerful lesson for investing – search for obvious problems with complex solutions. This framework reminds me of what I call Schwarzman’s Rule – it takes as much effort to solve a minor problem as a big one, so ensure the rewards equal the effort. The final part of tackling worthy problems is the belief you have an inside track to solving them. This belief fools us into starting and provides the persistence needed when things become difficult. ### Meaning Leads to Creativity and Persistence Feynman’s most important lesson wasn’t related to science. He understood that problems must be meaningful to us before they could impact others. We must be honest with and respect ourselves to understand what’s important to us. He compounded this belief by highlighting that we shouldn’t work to solve problems in a way acceptable to others. “My interest is not in the proof but the thing that is proved.” Often, this means bringing in thoughts and ideas from other fields in a way that looks more scattered than someone who’s taken a traditional path. This resonated deeply with me. I love investing, but what I really enjoy is the manifestation of building a company. I love watching people rise to the occasion to build something bigger than themselves, helping people solve problems and helping them make money that changes their lives. I like applying psychology and human concepts or joining them with the math that makes them work. If you stick around investing long enough, you’ll realize there are ups and downs. Working for the love of the problem and worrying less about the outside noise is mandatory for long-term success. Feynman’s methods were [simple](https://www.kevindstevens.com/p/simplicity-is-a-strategy?r=1fu9z&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web), but perfect for tackling complex problems – trust your instincts, work on problems worth solving, and make sure it matters to you. In Feynman’s own words, “remember it’s supposed to be fun.”