Perhaps the biggest thing I’ve learned from interviewing so many writers is this: it’s not the writing you need to fall in love with, but the editing. The better the writer, the more time they spend revising their thoughts. Poring over sentences. Rearranging paragraphs. Agonizing over the perfect word. It’s these relentless cycles of refinement that ultimately turn a piece of writing from good to great.

There are moments, early in people’s careers and especially in times of turmoil, where the things you say will stick for decades. Many years ago, I was scared about losing a job when a friend said to me: “If anything goes wrong, I’ll happily cover your living expenses for a year because I believe in you and want you to know you’ll be alright.” Thankfully, everything ended up alright so I never needed the money, but the sincerity of that comment earned him a lifetime of trust in my book.

Posting on Twitter will teach you that how you say something is as important as what you say. “Best idea wins” sounds nice, but it’s not the way of the world. Style matters. How many geniuses died forgotten because they didn’t know how to package their ideas?