The Third Door is a fun book, at the intersection between a novel and non-fictional book. The author takes us on his journey to interview the world’s most successful people and discover their secret. He hacked ‘The Price is Right’ to finance his adventure and managed to interview Tim Ferriss, Lady Gaga, Larry King, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and so many more.
Here are my takeaways, the useful bits and pieces to apply straightaway.
The concept of the third door
To reach your goal, it’s just like in any night club, there is always a way to get in :
- queue like 99% of the people, hoping to get in
- use the VIP line, easy when you are a billionaire or celebrity
- jump out the line, run down the alley, crack open the window, sneak through the kitchen..there is always a way! And most successful people took this third door.
The Tim Ferriss strategy to reach out to people
- Borrowed Credibility : He volunteered at well-known organizations and publications that enabled him to naturally meet some high level profiles and made it more natural and easier to reach out to them.
- Do not beat around the bush : Be very specific and ask your question straight away. For example :
“Dear So-and-So, I know you’re really busy and that you get a lot of emails, so this will only take sixty seconds to read. [Here is where you say who you are: add one or two lines that establish your credibility.] [Here is where you ask your very specific question.] I totally understand if you’re too busy to respond, but even a one- or two-line reply would really make my day. All the best, Tim”
The Power of the Story and the Human
“Everybody has experiences in their lives, some choose to make them into stories.”
Alex managed to interview all these best in class people because he had a “story”. He had this dream and hacked The Price is Right to accomplish it. Doors started to open to him when he shared his story. He felt shy about it; it was often others that encouraged him to share the story.
>>> don’t feel shy about your story; it is what will make you outstanding.
The author also noticed that he was most of the time rejected when he was a random name out of the blue. If you manage to meet people in person, it changes the whole relationship, you become human and they are much more likely to help you.
>>>find a way to get your foot in the door and meet personally with people who will open this door for you
Basically, find an inside man and ask for help.
Build a Pipeline
When trying to reach your goal or your dream, you’ll be rejected quite often. Be ready for that, as it hurts and you can lose your motivation.
“You just have to build a pipeline so when you get a bullshit no from one person, there’s still thirty others to work on.”
This tip works also for dating. It is a way to release the pressure from a potential rejection. When you have things waiting for you, it is always good for the mood. So always have different activities going on so that you are not left inconsolable with your rejection.