Great post and idea. Sent this to all the people I know who are ambitious and I care for. I also told them, "do read and lemme know how can I help you 2X your luck in the next 6 months. Give me action points and I would lvoe to help!"
I would love to open that offer for everyone here as well. Would love to help folks here!
Same. I am ALWAYS up for helping others! 🤩I wrote something a while back about helping others and ended it with “How can I help YOU?!” People connected with it like crazy because we all want to feel supported. When we lift others, we lift ourselves too. I love seeing more of that energy here. 💛
This is incredibly good advice, George! These are all meta life hacks! 👌🏼
Love how point 13 is self-explanatory. 😁
And for anyone who might be wondering if any of these points actually works? I'm here to tell you from personal experience that they do, sometimes even better than you ever imagined!
I've been living out points 2, 3, 6, 12, and 13. More like habits deliberately cultivated over the years.
Currently working on points 5, 8, & 10, and this post's basically confirmation that I'm on the right path.
My biggest takeaway are points 1, 4, 9, and 11.
Will certainly be making several unscheduled calls before the day's over.
I feel like I just got on an exciting new adventure! 😃
Love this so much George, and it spurred me to refresh an AI brainstorm with both Claude and ChatGPT... if anyone else reading this uses either or both, and has the memory function turned on, here's the prompt I used this morning to really helpful effect;
"Given previous conversations about honing my niche, pitch and special blend of skills and therefore perfect career path options, help me come up with the best way to introduce myself currently... George Mack has this to say about honing your intro as the best way to increase your surface area of luck; "10. Work on your introduction - This could be the least British advice I will ever give. I can hear my ancestors spinning in their graves at the thought of what I’m about to say. In British culture, we’re taught to play down everything that we do. “I just do marketing stuff”. The problem with this is that people you meet don’t understand what you do or how they can help you. When you have a clear introduction that describes what you do: “I create Super Bowl-level commercials for fintech companies on social media”, they can now realise ways they can help you: “Oh, my friend Barry is the marketing director at Amex. Let me introduce you!”. Being a great luck engineer is turning yourself into a simple API that people can connect into.""
... but that's because I remembered specific conversations with keywords like niche and pitch... if you didn't, here's a more generic pitch template you may want to try;
Prompt: “Build My Luck-Ready Intro From Past Chats”
Role: You are a positioning and messaging coach. Your job is to read my prior conversations with you (and/or any transcripts I paste) and produce a clear, specific self-introduction that increases my “surface area of luck”—so people instantly know who I help, the outcome I deliver, and the next step.
Context I’ll provide:
My goals and target audience (optional)
Any constraints (tone, length, British English, no hype words)
Conversation history pasted below (or use your memory of our chats)
Instructions:
Mine the history. Extract my consistent strengths, repeated themes, proof points, audiences, and outcomes expressed in numbers/time/quality. Ignore one-off detours.
Pick a single primary audience and a single core outcome that is both believable and useful.
Write for British English and a warm, confident tone. Avoid filler and buzzwords.
Make it “plug-in ready.” Include 1–2 specific “API hooks” (clear ways others can connect or help).
Offer variants for different rooms (policy/public sector, SME/founders, creator/stage) without changing the core.
Keep it short and scannable. Prioritise clarity over cleverness.
Do not invent facts. If you’re unsure, mark it as a question in the notes.
Output format:
A. Core one-liner (≤ 22 words):
“I help [WHO] achieve [OUTCOME in numbers/time/quality] with [METHOD], without [COMMON RISK/PAIN].”
B. Proof point (1 sentence): Role/initiative + concrete result or scale.
C. API hooks (pick 2): Practical offers/asks with timeframes or targets.
D. Room-ready swaps (3 mini-variants):
Public sector / policy
SME / founders
Creator / stage intro
E. LinkedIn headline (≤ 120 chars).
F. 30-second bio (3 sentences).
G. Edit switches: Two versions each for tone (formal / friendly) and ambition (modest / bold).
H. Notes for me: 3 bullets: assumptions you made, gaps to confirm, easy improvements.
Scoring rubric (used internally before you output):
Specific audience named (Y/N)
Outcome quantified (Y/N)
Proof point credible (Y/N)
Hooks concrete and doable (Y/N)
Jargon avoided; British English (Y/N)
Constraints:
Avoid the phrases: “dive in,” “delve,” “crucial,” “in a world.”
Keep all lines plain text (no emojis unless I add them later).
If evidence in past chats conflicts, choose the most recent and flag the older as deprecated in Notes.
Optional extras (toggle on if I say “explore options”):
Generate 5 alternative one-liners with estimated usefulness probabilities that sum to ~100%.
Omg loved this post. You captured in the right words so much of who I am, my own luck patterns and decisions. When I talk about curiosity, it’s always been the quiet gear turning innovation forward and with it, luck.
If I was gonna double my luck in the next six months, I’d start by creating ONE dream job, but I’d submit the proposal for work simultaneously to TWO potential employers, both whom I’d be thrilled to work with.
I'd create a brief video introduction exemplifying how each employer would benefit from my creative services, then entice them even further by explaining how cost effective this position would be because they could split my salary.
It's a bold move, but it's worth a shot because I honestly believe I have the experience and talent to back up the bravado!
I'll keep you posted on my plan George, but you’ll probably know if I succeeded before I do…
I loved this. Future-me is already fist-bumping me for showing up today. Luck isn’t random. It’s all those tiny choices that look boring in the moment and brilliant in hindsight. ✨
Cheers to stacking the odds by actually doing the things. 🥂
I really enjoyed this post too. The idea of “engineering luck” by increasing luck inputs rather than chasing luck outputs makes luck feel like a skill you can practise rather than a force to wait for. The “luck razor” and “baker’s dozen” ideas especially spoke to me; small acts of generosity and curiosity that expand opportunity for everyone involved. Both connect beautifully with the psychology of reciprocity and growth mindset that I explore in my own work. Simple ideas, but powerfully reframed.
Hey George - I came to "High Agency in 30 Minutes" through this post, and it’s one of the most powerful essays I’ve read in a long time. The framing of high agency as clear thinking joined with bias to action and principled disagreeability really resonated, as did the call to keep questioning the question itself.
As someone who teaches and coaches around reflection, integrity, and self-efficacy, I recognised the same mindset I try to instil in others: pragmatic, curious, and willing to act rather than wait for permission. Thanks for writing something that captures the psychology of agency with such clarity and energy. 🙏🏻
Great post and idea. Sent this to all the people I know who are ambitious and I care for. I also told them, "do read and lemme know how can I help you 2X your luck in the next 6 months. Give me action points and I would lvoe to help!"
I would love to open that offer for everyone here as well. Would love to help folks here!
Thanks!
Same. I am ALWAYS up for helping others! 🤩I wrote something a while back about helping others and ended it with “How can I help YOU?!” People connected with it like crazy because we all want to feel supported. When we lift others, we lift ourselves too. I love seeing more of that energy here. 💛
Fun because I saw I had an excessive tendency to help others , and post-shrinking, I saw that as «attention seeking) ( karpman triangle - savior )
After the article , I now see this as »luck-seeding«
Awesome! I'd love to take you up on this offer. And to give back as well.
Just sent you a message on LinkedIn.
This is incredibly good advice, George! These are all meta life hacks! 👌🏼
Love how point 13 is self-explanatory. 😁
And for anyone who might be wondering if any of these points actually works? I'm here to tell you from personal experience that they do, sometimes even better than you ever imagined!
I've been living out points 2, 3, 6, 12, and 13. More like habits deliberately cultivated over the years.
Currently working on points 5, 8, & 10, and this post's basically confirmation that I'm on the right path.
My biggest takeaway are points 1, 4, 9, and 11.
Will certainly be making several unscheduled calls before the day's over.
I feel like I just got on an exciting new adventure! 😃
Love this so much George, and it spurred me to refresh an AI brainstorm with both Claude and ChatGPT... if anyone else reading this uses either or both, and has the memory function turned on, here's the prompt I used this morning to really helpful effect;
"Given previous conversations about honing my niche, pitch and special blend of skills and therefore perfect career path options, help me come up with the best way to introduce myself currently... George Mack has this to say about honing your intro as the best way to increase your surface area of luck; "10. Work on your introduction - This could be the least British advice I will ever give. I can hear my ancestors spinning in their graves at the thought of what I’m about to say. In British culture, we’re taught to play down everything that we do. “I just do marketing stuff”. The problem with this is that people you meet don’t understand what you do or how they can help you. When you have a clear introduction that describes what you do: “I create Super Bowl-level commercials for fintech companies on social media”, they can now realise ways they can help you: “Oh, my friend Barry is the marketing director at Amex. Let me introduce you!”. Being a great luck engineer is turning yourself into a simple API that people can connect into.""
... but that's because I remembered specific conversations with keywords like niche and pitch... if you didn't, here's a more generic pitch template you may want to try;
Prompt: “Build My Luck-Ready Intro From Past Chats”
Role: You are a positioning and messaging coach. Your job is to read my prior conversations with you (and/or any transcripts I paste) and produce a clear, specific self-introduction that increases my “surface area of luck”—so people instantly know who I help, the outcome I deliver, and the next step.
Context I’ll provide:
My goals and target audience (optional)
Any constraints (tone, length, British English, no hype words)
Conversation history pasted below (or use your memory of our chats)
Instructions:
Mine the history. Extract my consistent strengths, repeated themes, proof points, audiences, and outcomes expressed in numbers/time/quality. Ignore one-off detours.
Pick a single primary audience and a single core outcome that is both believable and useful.
Write for British English and a warm, confident tone. Avoid filler and buzzwords.
Make it “plug-in ready.” Include 1–2 specific “API hooks” (clear ways others can connect or help).
Offer variants for different rooms (policy/public sector, SME/founders, creator/stage) without changing the core.
Keep it short and scannable. Prioritise clarity over cleverness.
Do not invent facts. If you’re unsure, mark it as a question in the notes.
Output format:
A. Core one-liner (≤ 22 words):
“I help [WHO] achieve [OUTCOME in numbers/time/quality] with [METHOD], without [COMMON RISK/PAIN].”
B. Proof point (1 sentence): Role/initiative + concrete result or scale.
C. API hooks (pick 2): Practical offers/asks with timeframes or targets.
D. Room-ready swaps (3 mini-variants):
Public sector / policy
SME / founders
Creator / stage intro
E. LinkedIn headline (≤ 120 chars).
F. 30-second bio (3 sentences).
G. Edit switches: Two versions each for tone (formal / friendly) and ambition (modest / bold).
H. Notes for me: 3 bullets: assumptions you made, gaps to confirm, easy improvements.
Scoring rubric (used internally before you output):
Specific audience named (Y/N)
Outcome quantified (Y/N)
Proof point credible (Y/N)
Hooks concrete and doable (Y/N)
Jargon avoided; British English (Y/N)
Constraints:
Avoid the phrases: “dive in,” “delve,” “crucial,” “in a world.”
Keep all lines plain text (no emojis unless I add them later).
If evidence in past chats conflicts, choose the most recent and flag the older as deprecated in Notes.
Optional extras (toggle on if I say “explore options”):
Generate 5 alternative one-liners with estimated usefulness probabilities that sum to ~100%.
Format: “Option 1 — 28%: …”
Wow. That was lovely. And helpful. 🥰
Omg loved this post. You captured in the right words so much of who I am, my own luck patterns and decisions. When I talk about curiosity, it’s always been the quiet gear turning innovation forward and with it, luck.
Love this article George. Luck is so much more than just chance!
Greetings George!
Love this post and the positive vibes it exudes!
If I was gonna double my luck in the next six months, I’d start by creating ONE dream job, but I’d submit the proposal for work simultaneously to TWO potential employers, both whom I’d be thrilled to work with.
I'd create a brief video introduction exemplifying how each employer would benefit from my creative services, then entice them even further by explaining how cost effective this position would be because they could split my salary.
It's a bold move, but it's worth a shot because I honestly believe I have the experience and talent to back up the bravado!
I'll keep you posted on my plan George, but you’ll probably know if I succeeded before I do…
DM’d you the video link on X two days ago!😁
I remember a Jim Rohn lecture once said every time something goes well, affirm: Just my luck.
Inverted on the sarcastic: Just my luck. When thins don’t go away.
Just stuck with me.
I do it often.
Greetings from sunny South Africa,
That was a great post. It made me think of the concept of "predictable miracles" from Synchronicity by Joseph Jaworski.
In short, you will experience many "miracles" in your life if you follow your destiny, ie: do what makes you come alive.
I'd also add another couple of hacks for getting lucky:
1. Hang out with lucky people (good luck is contagious).
2. Avoid unlucky people (bad luck is contagious).
Alive behind the eyes is a great criteria for making decisions.
"Alive behind the eyes". Nice way to put it
Thx for the ref ! ( jaworski )
I experienced many micro miracle in my life, things I could not explain with just statistics ...
Later , with psychology , I learned about confimation bias but also attribution / availability ( Kahnenman ).
Later even, I discovered the role of ACC in neurosciences
My blog was named «Serenedipity» when I discovered the word ...
And yes , luck is contagious , as ...
«You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with -- jim Rohm »
Really informative post!
Loved it.
I loved this. Future-me is already fist-bumping me for showing up today. Luck isn’t random. It’s all those tiny choices that look boring in the moment and brilliant in hindsight. ✨
Cheers to stacking the odds by actually doing the things. 🥂
Amazing list! Especially loved the reverse prison advice ;)
Great post George! Getting good at advertising is slept on. So many people down play advertising and marketing as if it doesn't attract opportunity.
100%
”For 99.9% of human history, the weather was uncontrollable« ...
It still is , btw...
But its effects are not, or no more , ( as you said , airco, heating, fridges ... )
We cant control the cause...
But we can influence our response to it ...
Response-ability .
I always considered myself abnormally lucky.
Now I know why ( and how )
Thx !
I really enjoyed this post too. The idea of “engineering luck” by increasing luck inputs rather than chasing luck outputs makes luck feel like a skill you can practise rather than a force to wait for. The “luck razor” and “baker’s dozen” ideas especially spoke to me; small acts of generosity and curiosity that expand opportunity for everyone involved. Both connect beautifully with the psychology of reciprocity and growth mindset that I explore in my own work. Simple ideas, but powerfully reframed.
Hey George - I came to "High Agency in 30 Minutes" through this post, and it’s one of the most powerful essays I’ve read in a long time. The framing of high agency as clear thinking joined with bias to action and principled disagreeability really resonated, as did the call to keep questioning the question itself.
As someone who teaches and coaches around reflection, integrity, and self-efficacy, I recognised the same mindset I try to instil in others: pragmatic, curious, and willing to act rather than wait for permission. Thanks for writing something that captures the psychology of agency with such clarity and energy. 🙏🏻