Success Jealousy Framework

A discussion about dealing with feelings of jealousy when peers or former employees achieve massive success, particularly in crypto and startups.

Core Insight About Success Jealousy

• When others succeed dramatically, people often focus on their own perceived failure rather than the other person's success
• Success can trigger feelings of inadequacy in others, especially when the success seems "unreasonable" or happens quickly
• Being aware of jealousy and acknowledging it is healthier than denial

Common Jealousy Reactions

• Initial denial of feelings
• Finding reasons to diminish others' success
  • Attributing it to luck
  • Suggesting it's too risky
  • Secretly hoping it won't work out
• Questioning one's own life choices and achievements
• Feeling confused when success doesn't follow expected patterns or timeframes

Real Examples Mentioned

• Person going from $500k to $15M in crypto (non-technical person)
• Friend going from $1M to $100M at peak of Bitcoin
• 13-year-old kid who later made $10M from crypto protocol
• Moiz Ali selling Native deodorant for $100M after 2 years

Healthy Ways to Process Others' Success

• Acknowledge the jealous feelings openly
• Recognize it's normal to feel this way
• Understand these feelings reflect more about your own journey than theirs
• Appreciate being close enough to witness these success stories
• Focus on learning from their success rather than feeling threatened by it

Key Observation

• The most triggering successes are often:
  • From people who used to look up to you
  • Achieved in unexpectedly short timeframes
  • Accomplished by those who seemed "normal" before
  • In areas outside their previous expertise