Post by Erik Torenberg on X

Some people are great systems thinkers but their models of the world are too neat and thus don’t allow for the messiness inherent to pursuing more emergent endeavors. These people are more often scalers than starters.

317 likes11 repliesPosted Feb 5, 2022

View the original on X Written by Erik Torenberg. Captured Sep 4, 2026.

Remix this post

Your note

Private to you, and used when you remix this post.

Viral score

Based on absolute engagement — the platform doesn’t expose follower counts here, so large accounts score higher.

From likes, comments.

Why it worked

Short enough to read in full without expanding, which removes a step before the point lands.

The mechanics

Hook: Plain observation
Structure: Hook
Style: Conversational paragraphs at a steady pace.
Tone: plain, matter-of-fact
Written for: People building with AI

Analysis by ViralLoop — not written by the original author.

Topics

Posts built the same way

Attorney General Pamela Bondi

At my direction, early this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. More details soon.

120K likes

Ashok Kumar

For those confused why the US state and Silicon Valley are having a meltdown on twitter today. China released multiple AI models that are 50x more efficient than the best American AI models and made them open source, ruining the AI market

323K likes

Elon Musk

Universal HIGH INCOME via checks issued by the Federal government is the best way to deal with unemployment caused by AI. AI/robotics will produce goods & services far in excess of the increase in the money supply, so there will not be inflation.

190K likes

Sam Altman

I am very excited about AI, but to go off-script for a minute: I built an app with Codex last week. It was very fun. Then I started asking it for ideas for new features and at least a couple of them were better than I was thinking of. I felt a little useless and it was sad.

22K likes

jacksfilms

Hi! I'm one of the prompt writers that worked on this ad. It's a lot harder than people think! Prompts that my team used include: -make it funny -make it epic AND funny -funnier!!! Please be nice to my team as many of them will be laid off/replaced by AI

57K likes

Elon Musk

It’s patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security & privacy! Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They’re selling you down the river.

273K likes

More from Erik Torenberg

Erik Torenberg

E12 w/ @beffjezos @bayeslord @labenz is up. We discuss: - Unpacking Effective Accelerationism - Effective Accelerationism vs Effective Altruism - AI safety vs AI accelerationism In case you’d like a break from doomscrolling, here’s the anti-doomer take on accelerating AI

151 likes

Erik Torenberg

There should be something like a Wikipedia for careers: Lists of career paths, how & what skills you'll need to break-in & rise up, how much $ you’d earn over time, lifestyle/happiness pros&cons, recommended paths based on interests & skills & personality type, case studies etc

6.2K likes

Erik Torenberg

Get a “life board” — meet with a crew of ~4 peers 3-4x a year to discuss big life, career, and finance decisions. Benefits: feedback, advice, accountability, raised ambitions, and long-term friendships & working relationships.

478 likes

Erik Torenberg

There should be a Path-like product but for Twitter—a product that enables you to have a private Twitter for ~150 people. Right now we have group chats and we have Twitter, but little in-between that also maintains the asynchronous, cumulative building block aspects of Twitter.

223 likes

Erik Torenberg

MBAs are mostly about the network & credential, since content is commodity Imagine an "MBA" alternative only for people who get *accepted* to a few top schools—but choose not to enroll It'd be the same network & credential b/c same filter, same content—but 90%+ cheaper/no debt

353 likes

Erik Torenberg

On Deck's goals are to help: - Founders start/scale successful companies - Employees improve at their jobs & up-level their careers - Top talent navigate career transitions into & within tech What products/communities/services should we launch in 2022 to accomplish these goals?

186 likes