You’ve hit on a really important and actionable concept! “Increasing surface area for luck” is a metaphor that means actively taking more actions and putting yourself in more situations where positive, unexpected opportunities (i.e., “luck”) are more likely to find you or be created by you.

Think of it literally:

• A small net catches fewer fish than a large net.
• A small solar panel captures less sunlight than a large one.
• A small antenna picks up fewer signals than a large one.

In life, your “surface area” is the sum of your actions, interactions, visibility, and presence in the world, particularly in areas relevant to your goals. By increasing this surface area, you increase the probability of encountering favorable events, people, and information.

Here’s a breakdown of what it means and how to do it across different areas:

What “Increasing Surface Area” Means:

1. More Actions = More Data Points & Probabilities: Every attempt you make (applying for a job, pitching an idea, starting a conversation, trying a new workout) is a chance for something positive to happen. Even failures provide valuable data. More attempts = higher probability of success somewhere.
2. More Interactions = More Connections: Every person you genuinely connect with expands your network. That network holds potential knowledge, support, introductions, and unforeseen opportunities.
3. More Visibility = More Inbound Opportunities: When you share your work, ideas, or journey, people become aware of you. This allows opportunities, collaborations, or help to find you instead of you always having to seek them out.
4. More Presence = More Exposure to the Environment: Simply being in the places (physical or digital) where things happen in your field exposes you to ambient information, trends, and the possibility of chance encounters.

Ways to Increase Your Surface Area for Luck:

1. Meeting the Right People / Networking:

• Attend Events: Go to industry conferences, local meetups, workshops, seminars, even relevant social gatherings. Don’t just attend; interact.
• Join Communities: Participate actively in online forums, Slack/Discord groups, professional associations, clubs related to your interests/goals.
• Proactive Outreach: Identify people you want to connect with (mentors, peers, potential clients/employers) and reach out thoughtfully (LinkedIn, email). Offer value first if possible.
• Be Helpful: Genuinely try to help others in your network without immediately expecting something in return. This builds goodwill and makes people want to help you later.
• Follow Up: Maintain connections. A brief check-in can keep relationships warm.

2. Being “More Lucky” (Increasing Serendipity):

• Try New Things: Step outside your routine. Visit new places, read different genres, explore adjacent fields. This exposes you to novel stimuli and potential cross-pollination of ideas.
• Share Your Goals/Problems: Talk openly (with trusted people) about what you’re working on or struggling with. Someone might have the exact solution, connection, or piece of information you need. Keeping it secret guarantees no one can help.
• Experiment Often: Run small tests in your work, fitness, or learning. Treat initiatives not as definitive paths but as experiments to gather data. This increases chances of stumbling upon something that works exceptionally well.
• Be Curious: Ask questions. Explore tangents. Don’t dismiss information immediately. Curiosity leads you down paths where unexpected discoveries lie.

3. Health and Fitness Knowledge & Skills:

• Try Different Activities: Don’t just stick to one form of exercise. Try yoga, weightlifting, running, swimming, team sports. You might discover something you love and excel at, or learn principles applicable elsewhere.
• Talk to Experts: Engage with trainers, nutritionists, physical therapists, experienced athletes. Ask specific questions about your challenges.
• Read Diverse Sources: Explore different dietary theories, training methodologies, and wellness practices (understanding the science behind them).
• Track Your Data: Monitor your workouts, nutrition, sleep, and how you feel. This creates data points to identify what works best for your body (an experimental approach).
• Join Fitness Groups/Classes: Learn from instructors and peers, share experiences, and find accountability partners.

4. Being More Employable:

• Build in Public: Share your learning process, projects, or results online (LinkedIn, personal blog, GitHub for coders). This acts as a living resume and attracts attention.
• Develop Tangential Skills: Learn skills adjacent to your core competency (e.g., a marketer learning basic design, a developer learning basic marketing). This makes you more versatile and valuable.
• Network Within Your Industry: (As above) Connections often lead to hearing about jobs before they’re publicly posted.
• Apply More Widely: Don’t self-reject. Apply for roles that seem slightly out of reach. The worst they can say is no, but you might get an interview or learn something.
• Seek Feedback on Applications/Interviews: Ask recruiters or interviewers (if appropriate and possible) for feedback after rejections to improve for the next time.

5. Being in the Right Situations:

• Identify Hubs: Recognize where the “action” is for your field (geographical locations, specific conferences, online platforms) and make an effort to be present there.
• Volunteer for Key Roles: Offer to help organize events or contribute to projects within communities you value. This often puts you in contact with key decision-makers and gives you insider knowledge.
• Create Your Own Situation: If the ideal environment doesn’t exist, consider creating it (e.g., starting a meetup group, launching a newsletter on a niche topic). This positions you as a leader.
• Follow Interesting People/Companies: Pay attention to where the people and organizations you admire are going, what they’re talking about, and what events they attend.

The Opposite: Decreasing Surface Area for Luck

Staying home, keeping your ideas secret, not talking to new people, never trying anything new, not applying for things, avoiding feedback – these actions minimize your exposure and drastically reduce the probability of lucky breaks or opportunities finding you.

In short, increasing your surface area for luck is about replacing passive waiting with proactive engagement and preparation. It’s about understanding that while you can’t control every outcome, you can significantly increase the odds in your favor by consistently putting yourself, your skills, and your ideas out into the world.