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How one guy achieved more than the entire FBI...
Using *Google Search*.
This is the most underrated story on the internet.
THREAD...
Using *Google Search*.
This is the most underrated story on the internet.
THREAD...
THE BACKGROUND OF SILK ROAD:
• The anonymous marketplace operated between 2011 and 2013
• It was Amazon for illegal goods - ranging from magic mushrooms to heroin to AK47's
• It is estimated the website generated 600,000 Bitcoin in commission - $34 BILLION at today's prices
• The anonymous marketplace operated between 2011 and 2013
• It was Amazon for illegal goods - ranging from magic mushrooms to heroin to AK47's
• It is estimated the website generated 600,000 Bitcoin in commission - $34 BILLION at today's prices
The FBI + DEA's top priority was to:
1. Unmask the founder - Known by the pseudonym "Dread Pirate Roberts"
2. Shut the website down
Despite their billions of dollars of resources, highly trained divisions, and decades of experience - they couldn't do it.
1. Unmask the founder - Known by the pseudonym "Dread Pirate Roberts"
2. Shut the website down
Despite their billions of dollars of resources, highly trained divisions, and decades of experience - they couldn't do it.
FBI + DEA was outperformed by one guy *using Google in his spare time*.
The point of this thread isn't to debate the ethics of drugs being illegal.
The point is to highlight the power of an individual with:
1. High agency
2. Internet connection
3. Thinking outside the box
The point of this thread isn't to debate the ethics of drugs being illegal.
The point is to highlight the power of an individual with:
1. High agency
2. Internet connection
3. Thinking outside the box
INTRODUCING GARY ALFORD:
• Gary Alford was a tax inspector in New York City
• When he started investigating the Silk Road, he had 0 knowledge of Bitcoin, Tor (Dark web) or online drugs
• Gary was like Elon in electronic cars or space - he had 0 qualifications.
• Gary Alford was a tax inspector in New York City
• When he started investigating the Silk Road, he had 0 knowledge of Bitcoin, Tor (Dark web) or online drugs
• Gary was like Elon in electronic cars or space - he had 0 qualifications.
Gary did have the following on his side:
1. Gary reads everything 3X:
• He reads every book, email or article 3 times
• He is obsessed with retaining more info than those around him
• Gary believed if he consumed everything at least three times, he would remember more
1. Gary reads everything 3X:
• He reads every book, email or article 3 times
• He is obsessed with retaining more info than those around him
• Gary believed if he consumed everything at least three times, he would remember more
2. Gary's mental model:
• After reading the bitcoin whitepaper for the *3rd time*, he became obsessed with the "Gamblers Run Problem".
• No matter how much money you have in a betting scenario, the casino has infinite money, so if you continue playing - it will win.
• After reading the bitcoin whitepaper for the *3rd time*, he became obsessed with the "Gamblers Run Problem".
• No matter how much money you have in a betting scenario, the casino has infinite money, so if you continue playing - it will win.
• Gary believed the Dread Pirate Roberts was the gambler and he was the casino.
• If the Dread Pirate Roberts continued playing the game, Gary would eventually win.
• If the Dread Pirate Roberts continued playing the game, Gary would eventually win.
3. Gary's thinking outside the box
• Gary was a student of history - his favorite case was The "Son of Sam".
• Son of Sam was a NY serial killer between 1976-1977.
• The NYPD threw unlimited resources and couldn't find him.
Until they began to think outside the box...
• Gary was a student of history - his favorite case was The "Son of Sam".
• Son of Sam was a NY serial killer between 1976-1977.
• The NYPD threw unlimited resources and couldn't find him.
Until they began to think outside the box...
• Rather than search the crime scene for weapons, one officer started looking for parking tickets in the areas of the murder sprees
• His logic: No serial killer would stop mid-way through to pay for parking
• Bingo! The same Ford Galaxie had tickets for every murder night
• His logic: No serial killer would stop mid-way through to pay for parking
• Bingo! The same Ford Galaxie had tickets for every murder night
• When detectives went to the murderer's home - he admitted on the spot and said "What took you so long?"
• Gary's lesson from this story:
You could outperform more experienced people by looking at the problem differently
• He applied this to the Silk Road case.
• Gary's lesson from this story:
You could outperform more experienced people by looking at the problem differently
• He applied this to the Silk Road case.
HOW GARY CAUGHT THE DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS:
• Gary was obsessed with the idea of a "digital parking ticket" that existed on the internet for Silk Road.
He worked from first principles on the following question:
• "What is the earliest post about Silk Road on the internet?"
• Gary was obsessed with the idea of a "digital parking ticket" that existed on the internet for Silk Road.
He worked from first principles on the following question:
• "What is the earliest post about Silk Road on the internet?"
• Gary simply searched "silkroad .onion" and filtered by date within Google search settings
• The oldest post he could find was on a bitcoin forum.
• "Has anyone seen Silk Road yet? It's kind of like an anonymous Amazon" - Altoid
• The oldest post he could find was on a bitcoin forum.
• "Has anyone seen Silk Road yet? It's kind of like an anonymous Amazon" - Altoid
• Gary contacted all forums that were associated with the "Altoid" handle.
• Most forums had fake emails in their database for the handle - except one...
• "RossUlbricht@gmail.com" was associated with the oldest Altoid account.
• Most forums had fake emails in their database for the handle - except one...
• "RossUlbricht@gmail.com" was associated with the oldest Altoid account.
• Despite weeks of Gary telling the FBI + DEA that Ross was the Dread Pirate Roberts - they ignored him.
• They eventually came round to his opinion as the evidence became undeniable.
• This story is mindblowing...
• They eventually came round to his opinion as the evidence became undeniable.
• This story is mindblowing...
• The point of this story isn't whether drugs should be illegal or Ross' sentence is justified
• The point of this story is to highlight how an individual with:
1. Internet connection
2. High agency
3. Out of the box thinking
Can outperform the world's biggest organisations
• The point of this story is to highlight how an individual with:
1. Internet connection
2. High agency
3. Out of the box thinking
Can outperform the world's biggest organisations
Wherever you look, you can see the trend occurring:
• Zuckerberg and Dorsey used high agency + internet connection to beat the billion-dollar legacy media industry
• Bezos and Lutke used high agency + internet connection to beat the billion-dollar legacy commerce industry
• Zuckerberg and Dorsey used high agency + internet connection to beat the billion-dollar legacy media industry
• Bezos and Lutke used high agency + internet connection to beat the billion-dollar legacy commerce industry
• Satoshi Nakamoto and Vitalik are using high agency + internet connection to beat the trillion-dollar legacy finance industry.
• Rogan and Logan Paul are using high agency + internet connection to beat the billion-dollar legacy TV industry.
• Rogan and Logan Paul are using high agency + internet connection to beat the billion-dollar legacy TV industry.
"Arm yourself with specific knowledge, accountability, and leverage." - @naval
Don't forget high agency + internet connection too.
These are the blocks that Naval's trio is built on.
Don't forget high agency + internet connection too.
These are the blocks that Naval's trio is built on.
We are living in the age of information.
David can beat Goliath.
But David doesn't have a slingshot.
David has:
- Internet connection
- High agency
- Out the box thinking
David can beat Goliath.
But David doesn't have a slingshot.
David has:
- Internet connection
- High agency
- Out the box thinking
TLDR:
• In 2021, people can now outperform billion-dollar organisations by...
1. Using a search engine effectively
2. Thinking outside the box
It's not easy.
But it is becoming more and more possible.
Ask Gary Alford.
(Or Rogan, Satoshi or Dorsey)
• In 2021, people can now outperform billion-dollar organisations by...
1. Using a search engine effectively
2. Thinking outside the box
It's not easy.
But it is becoming more and more possible.
Ask Gary Alford.
(Or Rogan, Satoshi or Dorsey)
If you enjoyed this, I occasionally send out a newsletter.
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It contains:
1. Clouds - Mental Models + Big ideas
2. Dirt - Tactics + Leveraged tools
100% high signal. 0% spam.
Check it out -----> http://bit.ly/MentalModelsBD
Highly recommend the following:
1. True Crime: Silk Road podcast
2. American Kingpin by Nick Bilton
1. True Crime: Silk Road podcast
2. American Kingpin by Nick Bilton
