Based on a quote by philosopher Kwame Appiah, the most critical career decision is choosing your "game"—be it wealth, impact, or knowledge—rather than defaulting into one. Excelling at a game you didn't consciously choose leads to climbing a ladder against the wrong wall.

Ambitious graduates shouldn't join the organization doing the most good in year one, but rather the one that best equips them with skills and networks. This builds "career capital" that prepares them to achieve far greater impact in years 10, 20, and 30 of their careers.

Money without knowledge is useless, and knowledge without a network is inert. A powerful network is the ultimate asset because it unlocks access to both capital and expertise, making it the most effective lever for creating significant, real-world impact.

Business is a unique domain where you can pursue selfish goals (building a large, profitable company) and selfless ones at the same time. By building a successful company with ethical, people-first practices, you force competitors to adopt similar positive behaviors to compete, thereby improving the entire industry for everyone.

The common advice to "follow your passion" is flawed. Passion is often the result of becoming successful and masterful at something, not the cause. A more effective career strategy is to identify your greatest strengths and focus on contributing that value to the world.

Entrepreneurial individuals are often biased towards starting their own organization for the satisfaction of building something new. However, joining a high-impact organization that is already working and helping it scale can often be a higher-leverage career move, even if it feels less tangible than founding.

Effective career advice depends on the recipient's starting point. Effective altruists often over-optimize for impact and should be nudged towards personal fit and passion. Conversely, other mission-driven people often focus on personal fit and should be nudged to consider the scale and effectiveness of their impact more rigorously.

Frame philanthropic efforts not just by direct impact but as a "real-world MBA." Prioritize projects where, even if they fail, you acquire valuable skills and relationships. This heuristic, borrowed from for-profit investing, ensures a personal return on investment and sustained engagement regardless of the outcome.

A Goldman Sachs tradition for new partners was advice to build a life rich with philanthropy and community involvement. The goal was to be so impactful outside of work that their career would only merit a few sentences in a long obituary.