Why Not Being Good is Good (Building BuildWitt #77) DT 492

Aaron opens by saying he has spent most of his life being mediocre: at 5'6", he was never good at sports; he was average in grade and middle school, struggled in public high school, and earned mostly C’s in college despite working hard. He also says he was not especially capable at “nerd stuff,” left college parties before 11 p.m., and had little confidence talking to women. The co-host jokes that at least “C’s get degrees,” and Aaron agrees that getting the degree was what mattered.

Aaron argues that not being naturally good forced him to work harder for the same results, creating what people call grit. He says school is difficult for people who lack obvious strengths because everyone follows the same track, but the real world rewards people who can keep working after college, when they are left to their own devices. His advice is to identify something you know you should do but have avoided, start today, and repeat the effort tomorrow; grit is built by stacking those days.

Less than a week after writing this episode, Aaron finished an Ironman in the top 5%, surprising even himself. He had no coach, training plan, Garmin, or specialized equipment, traveled internationally every week during the three months before the race, and only afterward realized his bike tire pressure had been wrong. What he did have was discipline and the ability to work when he did not want to. The race included a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and full marathon; he emphasized that he built toward it over roughly eight years rather than starting at that level.

Aaron and the co-host say the hardest part is tolerating being bad at something while improving. Aaron rejects the idea that there is a finish line for “doing the work”: he has worked out consistently since college and daily since starting the business in 2018, progressing from never having run a half marathon to regularly running about 10 miles. They also argue that people who peak in high school can be shocked after graduation, when everyone is competing in a larger pool and being good becomes merely “table stakes.”

Answering a listener’s question, Aaron explains that concrete costs more, while asphalt is cheaper to install and maintain and can incorporate recycled asphalt. Concrete is favored in places with freeze-thaw cycles or weaker soil, such as Texas and much of Illinois, because asphalt would require frequent repairs; Arizona’s warmer climate and better soil make asphalt the standard. Bridges require a structural concrete component, though an asphalt surface may be placed on top. Recycled concrete is generally crushed for road base rather than made into new concrete in the United States, while recycled asphalt is mixed into new asphalt, although excessive recycled content may reduce durability.