Values

Roote’s values are daily operating principles.

How I work

Fellows first. My success is determined by your success.

Everything is a C+. I will hold us both to a world-class standard. There’s no curve here. We strive for mastery, stress the details, and hone our craft.

Real impact. Education is rife with fake work and signaling. Instead, I help you gain real skills to solve the world’s most important problems.

Simplify simplify simplify. I’m excited by everything but focus on a few things. I do less, better. I praise concision.

Build an ecosystem. I am positive-sum, share resources, and celebrate anyone who accelerates young people.

Who Rooties are

Information sponges. We are infovores who can’t help but soak it all in. We’re pluralists first, and keep our identity small. But our curiosity is directed towards impact. We’re serious, curious builders.

Believers. Rooties think pessimism is one of the biggest problems facing humanity. The first step to a better future is believing in one.

Agentic. But Rooties know that the world doesn’t build itself. We need to act. Over and over again. Every day. We have a bias to action and find ways to get things done.

Humble. Rooties know they have so much left to learn. We’re often wrong. The world is a big place. Lots of what we currently do is still a C+.

Playful. Life is too short not to enjoy the process. We aim high but delight in the small things. We laugh.

How I address fellows

Emotions first. When fellows come to me with problems, I look to move the conversation to a deeper emotional level where most issues lie. Release the fear, unleash your potential.

I believe in you. I only work with students who I have the capacity to believe in. First, I actively highlight your strengths. Then I challenge you to become your best self.

Ambitious peers are like water for dying plants. Ambition is countercultural & lonely. I help you find your people, raise your aspirations, and give you permission to strive.

Be useful. There’s lots of impactful work to be done. I help you to do it.

Build habits. You’re only part of Roote for a short amount of time. I want to give you habits and helpful mind viruses that nudge your trajectory for decades to come.

Wrap up

Although these aren’t core principles, these are slogans I say earnestly and often:

• Talent is evenly distributed, opportunity is not

• Say the hard thing

• Play long-term games with long-term people

• Work upstream

• Follow the incentives

• Default to transparency and honesty

• Beware memetics

• Get texture