AI Won’t Make You Rich Without This Skill (4-step process)

The speaker introduces the concept of developing good taste as increasingly crucial in the age of AI, shifting the focus from technical execution and funding to emotional appeal and the ability to connect with people. He outlines a four-step process to cultivate this skill, promising that mastering it will lead to both personal fulfillment and financial success. The definition of good taste, according to David Marks, involves two components: proposing a valued identity and authentically communicating that identity through lifestyle choices. Essentially, it's about knowing what you want to say and in what language, then effectively speaking that language. The four-step process for developing good taste is presented as follows: 1. **Decide what you want to say:** This initial step is often skipped, with people copying without understanding their underlying intention. The speaker emphasizes the importance of clarity in one's message or desired identity. 2. **Blindly copy the people who you like and who are already saying what you also want to say:** This isn't about plagiarism but about deep learning through imitation. Just as a musician copies songs to learn, one should replicate the work of those whose style resonates. This includes literal copying of words, designs, or styles to understand their "texture" and underlying mechanics. The speaker cites his own practice of "copy work" with David Ogilvy's ads as a personal example of this step's effectiveness. 3. **Learn the rules underneath what they are saying:** This involves delving into the theory and principles behind the admired work. It requires active learning through books, articles, and asking "why" things work the way they do. For example, understanding why a website like Stripe feels trustworthy or why a particular musical chord progression creates tension. 4. **Study history:** This step provides context and a framework for understanding how current aesthetics and ideas evolved. History offers tradition, which can be used to create constraints and a foundation for expression. The speaker distinguishes between "good taste" (adhering to the rules) and "great taste" (breaking the rules after mastering them). To illustrate this process, the speaker uses the example of the Braun T3 radio designed by Dieter Rams in 1953, which embodied the Bauhaus design philosophy. Bauhaus, founded by Walter Gropius in post-WWI Germany, rejected ornamentation in favor of essentialism, focusing on what was necessary for the user. This minimalist, functional approach, driven by a desire for a new identity and hope, profoundly influenced later designers. The speaker highlights how Steve Jobs was deeply inspired by this radio and the Bauhaus principles, applying them to the design of the iPod. Jobs' approach, according to the speaker, followed the four-step process: Jobs first decided what he wanted to say (simplicity, user-friendliness), then he studied and copied the minimalist designs he admired (like the T3 radio), learned the underlying design principles, and understood the historical context of those designs. The speaker then shares a personal anecdote about his journey into fashion. Initially, he unfollowed everyone on Instagram and then deliberately followed individuals whose style he admired, even if he didn't fully understand why. This exposure allowed him to begin blindly copying their brands and styles. Through this imitation, he started to discern what he liked and disliked and why certain things looked good. This led him to read books like "Dressing the Man" to understand the rules of menswear, such as the "rule of thirds" for jacket length. He noticed he was drawn to military-influenced, workwear, and Ivy League styles. He explored the history and context of these styles, connecting them to his own values like stoicism, hard work, and aspiration for family tradition. This self-discovery allowed him to define the identity he wanted to project, making his fashion choices feel authentic and intentional. The speaker extends this process to web design, suggesting that one should save websites that resonate, print them out and meticulously copy them (either by hand-drawing or using design software like Figma), identify the common design labels or styles, and then research the underlying rules and history of those styles. He mentions Gutenberg and Swiss design principles as examples of historical influences on modern design. He estimates that dedicating three to five months to this process can significantly improve one's taste. Finally, the speaker touches upon "great taste" as the ability to break established rules after mastering them, using Dr. Dre's evolution from sampling George Clinton (who himself broke from Motown's conventions) to creating his unique "G-funk" sound as an example. He emphasizes that even early Kanye West and Dr. Dre's work, while often direct samples, laid the groundwork for innovation. He concludes by reiterating that developing good taste is not just about aesthetics but also about economic success, as it influences branding, naming, and overall appeal. Furthermore, he asserts that surrounding oneself with beautiful things that resonate with one's soul genuinely enhances happiness and enriches life.