For those who haven't witnessed this: pg stands there for an entire day (maybe longer now), watching every pitch, slicing and dicing like a samurai. It's super rapid-fire, and with one or two pieces of advice each presentation doubles in effectiveness.
I'll still talk about pitches individually with startups at office hours.
For example, for Pebble you said, "put this joke in there: 'I bet you guys really want to check your phones right now but you can't because it would be rude... if you had one of these babies on your wrist you'd be able to see those precious emails'".
OK maybe not the most world-changing example but there were 100 more of those.
I'm sure Sam will be excellent at this too.
EDIT: I know how you say that writing => other ideas. So I guess the question is whether
1) You have something else in mind currently
2) You're writing with the intent to come up with other ideas
3) You're writing, and if another idea happens to come up that you like, you'll pursue it, or
4) You want to write and not pursue other ideas
I have a whole bunch of ideas for essays I'd like to write, but I almost never pick a topic. The way I decide which one to write is that one starts to write itself in my head.
Just a thought (I know you've got a huge "to-do list" in your head), I'd like to hear your opinions on effective altruism, and what you think the best ways to change the world are.
As someone who only comments in two places on the web (HN and at another place that I'd rather not mention) that is exactly how it works when I make comments.
You read something you react you write.
It's not an assignment. It's not a job. It's not required. You just do it because you are moved and/or inspired by something you read or observe.
Sounds to me as if you have bigger ambitions in that area than just writing essays.
i predict you will surprise us all ;-)
An opinion column in a well respected publication has the ability to wield more influence. Books are hit or miss and ephemeral.
But even the essays when presented in book form seem to hold a greater claim upon us than a dozen or so links in an email or blog post. Then again I don't deny my bookishness.