Four Luck Levels

A framework for understanding and manipulating luck to increase chances of success, discussed on the My First Million podcast.

Core Concept

• Luck is partially within your control
• Small portion is outside your control (birth circumstances, timing, etc.)
• Most luck can be influenced through specific actions and behaviors

The Four Levels of Luck

1. Blind Luck

• Completely random events
• Things outside your control like being born in certain place/time
• Initial circumstances that you start with

2. Hustle Luck

• Created through hard work and persistence
• Taking lots of shots increases chances of success
• More activity = more opportunities for lucky breaks

3. Preparation Luck

• Being ready when opportunities arise
• Building skills and knowledge in advance
• Having resources/capabilities to capitalize on luck

4. Unique Character Luck

• Developing a distinctive way of doing things
• Creating your own "lucky" situations
• Building systems that naturally attract opportunities

Key Principles

• Most luck you experience in life is within your control
• Early luck factors (birth, parents, health) are outside control
• Taking specific actions can increase "luck surface area"
• Need to be prepared to capitalize when luck strikes
• Building unique approaches creates more lucky opportunities

Application

• Focus on factors you can control vs external circumstances
• Take more shots and stay persistent to increase odds
• Develop skills/resources before opportunities arise
• Create unique systems that naturally generate luck
• Be ready to capitalize when lucky breaks happen

The framework suggests that while some luck is random, most can be systematically influenced through deliberate actions and preparation. Success comes from maximizing controllable luck factors while being ready for uncontrollable ones.