Cedric Chin - Learn How to Go from Novice to Expert in 90 Mins

Cedric Chin is a business operator, programmer, and writer. He is also the founder of Commoncog - a publication that explores the models of business expertise and how to accelerate the acquisition of that expertise. His approach to writing and learning is finding interesting ideas, trying them out in his life, and then sharing the results. Over the years he has compiled an extensive knowledge base on how to think and learn better in business and beyond. In this episode we speak about the limits of mental models, Ray Dalio & believability, three approaches to expertise, why you should read biographies, overcoming information overload and so much more. 🔗[Links & resources] 🔗Commoncog (Cedric’s blog) Follow Cedric on Twitter/X Farnam St Charlie Munger Principles by Ray DalioThe Fund by Rob Copeland Less Wrong Sources of Power by Gary Klein Daniel Kahneman Jean Piaget High Output Management by Andrew Grove You Have a Choice by Eric Nehrlich The Seven Secrets of the Prolific by Hillary RettigAccelerating Expertise (book) Milton Hershey Warren Buffett The Engines that Move Markets by Alasdair Nairn📝[Show Notes]📝0:00 - Intro2:54 - What led Cedric to study expertise (limits of mental models) 8:05 - The Problem with Deliberate Practice 10:05 - What is Commoncog?12:48 - Ray Dalio & Believability 21:03 - Sensemaking Less Wrong (Epistemic vs Instrumental Rationality) 25:11 - How “Irrational” people can be successful 26:39 - Gary Klein VS Daniel Kahneman 29:44 - Three approaches to gaining expertise 34:20 - What is tacit Knowledge?38:38 - The Recognition Primed Decision Making Model  47:30 - Cognitive Task Analysis 49:49 - The most important questions to ask experts 52:10 - Accelerating expertise in meditation & transmission of mind 56:48 - How to actually learn from books1:00:50 - Cognitive Flexibility Theory & ill-structured domains 1:06:55 - Integration (noticing sameness & difference) 1:09:31 - Using case studies to become an expert in cult dynamics 1:13:21 - Why you should read biographies 1:16:52 - How to overcome Information overload 1:21:48 - Mindful social media use 1:25:22 - Luck vs skill in success1:30:48 - Cedric’s opinion on Crypto 1:33:54 - The best and worst thing about living in Singapore 1:34:59 - Building the biggest storehouse of business expertise