Successful individuals and companies don't experience more fortunate events. Instead, they excel at capitalizing on positive serendipity and navigating negative shocks. The narrative of "luck" is often a psychological crutch for those unwilling to take responsibility for their reactions to life's inherent volatility.

Brands jumping on viral memes may see a temporary spike in views, but it's a hollow victory. Consumers remember the trend itself, not the brand's participation in it. This common social media tactic fails to build brand equity or impact the bottom line.

The creator of internet-famous recipes argues the sheer volume of content means the conditions for one item to dominate the cultural conversation no longer exist. "Everyone's famous, nothing's famous," she says, making true breakout virality a relic of the past.

Founders who succeed by randomly trying ideas rather than using a systematic process don't learn repeatable skills. This lucky break can be detrimental, as it validates a flawed strategy and prevents the founder from learning the principles needed for consistent, future success.

Ryan Holiday's book "The Obstacle is the Way" sold only 3,000 copies in its first week and didn't hit a bestseller list for five years. It grew through niche adoption (e.g., the New England Patriots) and consistent word-of-mouth, selling more copies each year for a decade, proving that impactful products can build momentum slowly.

Morgan Housel finds that the content that performs best is often basic and seems obvious to the writer. Readers resonate with ideas they already intuitively feel but have never seen articulated. This connection requires less mental bandwidth than processing a completely novel concept, leading to wider sharing.

The narrative that vast tech fortunes are built on individual grit alone ignores the critical role of luck, timing, and systemic tailwinds. Recognizing fortune is key to humility and social responsibility, contrasting with the "obnoxious" belief of being purely self-made and entitled to the winnings.

Reflecting on his career, Jason Fried has shifted from disbelieving in luck to attributing his success almost entirely to it. He points to factors completely out of his control, like being born in a year that positioned him perfectly for the internet boom and chance meetings that led to major opportunities.

Creating viral content requires a formula: identify a dominant fandom driving conversation, understand the target platform's user base, and find a brand-relevant angle within hours. It's a strategic process of connecting cultural moments to your brand in near real-time, not a random act.