Peter Kaufman
Go positive, go first, and be constant in doing it.
Peter Kaufman is CEO of Glenair and editor of Poor Charlie's Almanack. His Multidisciplinary Approach to Thinking synthesizes principles that hold across physics, biology, and human history — the same three buckets test that validates any mental model.
Key Insight
If a principle shows up in all three buckets (13.7B years of physics, 3.5B years of biology, 20k years of human history), it's robust enough to build decisions on.
Two Parabolic Ideas
Ideas that compound across all three buckets:
1. Mirrored Reciprocation
- Physics: Newton's third law — every action has equal and opposite reaction
- Biology: Reciprocal altruism — cooperation benefits both parties
- Human: What you consistently do to others eventually comes back
2. Compound Interest of Behavior
- Physics: Exponential growth from consistent force
- Biology: Small mutations compound into speciation
- Human: Reputation, trust, knowledge compound over decades
The synthesis: Most people respond well to positivity (mirrored reciprocation). We don't do it because loss aversion overweights rejection risk. But expected value is hugely positive.
Einstein's Ladder
Smart → Knowing facts
Intelligent → Connecting facts
Brilliant → Seeing patterns
Genius → Creating patterns
SIMPLE → Compressing patterns into unforgettable truths
Goal: Move up the ladder. Don't ship a model until you can express it at the SIMPLE level — something a smart 15-year-old could apply without breaking things.
This is the progression from games (pattern recognition) to standards (patterns compressed into protocols that scale).
Six Counterparties Lens
To remove blind spots, see through the eyes of all six groups:
| Counterparty | What to Understand |
|---|---|
| Customers | Needs, aspirations, time horizons |
| Suppliers | Constraints, incentives, durability |
| Employees | Motivations, insecurities, desire for meaning |
| Owners | Risk tolerance, required returns, time horizon |
| Regulators | Mandates, constraints, political pressures |
| Communities | Social and environmental impact |
If you can see through all six sets of eyes, blind spots approach zero. This is the hive-mind practicing perspective-taking — many weak signals, one binding rule.
Connection to Dreamineering
| Kaufman | Dreamineering | The Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Three Buckets | Three Systems | Test against all three or it's not robust |
| Mirrored Reciprocation | Hive-mind | What you do comes back — coordination emerges |
| Compound Interest | Standards thesis | Small actions compound > sporadic big ones |
| Six Counterparties | Players | See through all eyes = zero blind spots |
| Einstein's Ladder | Knowledge Stack | Smart → Simple = pattern compression |
| Go positive, go first | Goodwill | The binding rule |
The Bees Connection
Kaufman's insight about loss aversion explains why humans underuse mirrored reciprocation. But the bees don't calculate rejection risk — they just broadcast enthusiasm. Calibration-free aggregation. Go positive, go first, be constant. The swarm optimizes for truth, not ego protection.
Context
- Principles — The Three Buckets Test
- Charlie Munger — Kaufman edited his Almanack
- Games — Where pattern recognition develops
- Standards — Where patterns compress into protocols
Links
- Multidisciplinary Approach to Thinking — Full talk
- Poor Charlie's Almanack — Stripe Press edition