Compound interest has recently become a widely discussed idea across domains.
In The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, the importance of embedding compounding mechanisms into daily decision-making is emphasized.
By “compounding,” I mean reusing what I have already done to form the base of subsequent work. In finance, capital can generate additional returns; in software, a library developed once can be used by many and extended into more complex systems. This stands in contrast to purely manual, non-reusable effort.
From this perspective, many activities can be designed to benefit from compounding. In science in particular, researchers read, synthesize, and build upon prior knowledge.
Looking back, I do not think I leveraged this mindset effectively. I often ask myself whether my experimental planning was sufficiently grounded in prior reading and previous attempts, and whether I truly built on available knowledge. This may explain a period when my progress felt stagnant.
To address this, I set up a simple system that combines Obsidian with TaskChute to deliberately create time for thinking and to link daily actions in a reusable way. While still evolving, this structure appears to help me move more consistently in a compounding manner.
I also hear concerns that some research environments in Japan may underemphasize system design for compounding and protected time for deep thinking. My personal impression is that these elements will be increasingly important going forward.
コメント