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#5 - Howard Marks with David Perell on How I Write
The new newsletter format PodZip distills the writing insights from Howard Marks' memo, one of Warren Buffett’s top reads
Franziska Spoddig
April 30, 2024
Insights by Howard Marks zipped
Happy new week! In today’s newsletter, we delve into the helpful writing tips shared by Howard Marks during his appearance on How I Write. Marks reveals his approach to writing simple, understandable yet interesting texts.
Read Time: 4 minutes and 30 seconds
Today's Feature Podcast Summary
Hosted By: David Perell
Podcast: How I write
Guest Spotlight: Howard Marks, an American billionaire investor, co-founder and co-chairman of Oaktree Capital Management, and writer has authored The Most Important Thing. He is known for his bi-yearly memos that he releases on the market evaluations.
Takeaways: Simple writing by thinking deeply to make previously unconnected connections and share them in an imaginary, clear, and understandable way with the reader.
Insightful Takeaways
Connecting unconnected things
“Writing about things that naturally go together is not that interesting. reconciling two things that seem to be at odds that exist in the same marketplace, that is really challenging.”
This quote by Howard Marks emphasizes the value of bringing new perspectives and unexpected connections to familiar topics. It suggests that truly innovative thinking involves challenging existing beliefs and combining disparate ideas to forge new insights. Then you will create interesting writing for the reader.
How to Connect the Unconnected Things:
Collect Lots of Ideas: Like collecting toys, gather different thoughts, videos, or articles you find interesting.
Play Matching Game: Try to see how one of your ideas can fit with another, even if they seem very different.
Connections through specific questions: "What doesn't make sense?" or "How can two opposite ideas both be right?"
Look for Patterns: As you learn and see more, try to find ways they might connect back to your main interest or problem.
Simplicity in Writing
“I think it was Mark Twain who described a profession as a conspiracy against the laity.”
This quote by Mark Twain underlines the idea that professionals often use complex jargon that keeps ordinary people from understanding easily. Instead, the goal should be to make information accessible and simple, just like telling a helpful story.
How to Achieve Simplicity:
Speak like you talk: Use everyday language and speak like you're talking to another person. Use common and precise words. Avoid unnecessary words. This helps avoid making others feel left out.
Tell Stories: Share information as if you're telling a simple story, which can make complex ideas easier to grasp.
Organize and Break It Down: Like solving a puzzle, take complex ideas and split them into smaller, easy-to-understand pieces. You can start sorting and collecting them with a mind map.
Share Generously: Think, "I know something you don't, and I want to share it with you," to help spread knowledge without barriers.
Think Hard
“Think hard when you start about your point of view.”
This quote emphasizes the importance of starting your writing by deeply understanding and collecting your perspectives and ideas before you start. This process clarifies your thoughts thus enhancing the value of your communication, making it more meaningful and impactful for your readers.
How to Achieve Thoughtful Writing:
Gather Your Thoughts: Collect your ideas and topics like you’re piling up toys. No need for a strict plan at first.
Reflect Deeply: Spend time thinking about what you really want to say. What’s your message? What do you believe in? What do you think will work? What will not work? What will you do? What will not do?
Speak from Principle: Always write from a place of lasting values and lessons. This makes your writing more valuable and impactful.
Edit Thoroughly: Write your first draft quickly, then revise it many times. Move things around and make connections clear.
Seek Feedback: Before finishing, ask a few people (around five) to read your work. They can help you see what might still need improvement.
Vivid Inspiration from Japanese Literature
“”The economy is like a ball, and then there's water spewing up under it.” That is one of the benefits of reasoning by analogy. All of a sudden an abstract concept can be vivid.”
In Japanese literature class in college, Marks learned the power of elegance and clarity in writing. Using vivid imagery and precise language can transform abstract ideas into clear and memorable concepts. It helps us understand complex topics like the water spout representing the stimulative policy from the Fed to keep the economy going.
How to Achieve Imagery and Vivid Writing:
Start by thinking about the complex topics or ideas. Which ones should be visualized?
Reasoning by Analogy: See if you can discover similarities between two previously unrelated examples, eg.: A shark in the ocean behaves like a wolf in the forest.
Draw Pictures and Graphs: How can those complex topics be visualized in a graph or image? This makes big, tricky ideas easier to see and understand.
Parting Inspirational Quote to Ponder
“Opportunity, or luck, is not evenly distributed.”
