Daedalus stood on the edge of the cliff, the sun glinting off the wax and feathers of the wings he'd crafted with his own hands. Below, the sea roared like a beast, ready to devour anything that fell from the sky. He knew the risks. He always had. But he also knew that staying grounded meant certain death.

But Daedalus didn’t just hand those wings to Icarus without a warning. He understood the balance of things, the delicate dance between ambition and disaster. “Stay in the middle,” he’d said. “Don’t fly too low, or the sea will drag you down. Don’t fly too high, or the sun will melt the wax.”

But here’s the thing. Daedalus knew that the middle path, that so-called safe route, was the most dangerous of all. It was the route that kept you trapped, playing it small, avoiding the risks that could set you free. Daedalus crafted wings not to glide safely across the earth but to defy the very limits of human possibility.

The Barbell Strategy borrows from this ancient wisdom, reimagining it for a modern world that rewards extremes. It’s not about finding balance—it’s about knowing when to anchor yourself to the ground and when to leap into the void, trusting that your wings will carry you.

On one end of the barbell, you have your Daedalus side—the safe, steady projects that keep you afloat, that make sure you have something solid to stand on when the wind shifts. It’s your bread and butter, the work that pays the bills. But if that’s all you do, you’re still in the labyrinth, still trapped in the maze of mediocrity.

On the other end is Icarus—the wild, reckless pursuit of ideas that just might crash and burn. But these are the projects that could also set you on fire in the best way, launching you into the stratosphere of creativity where legends are made. This is where you take your biggest risks, where you push boundaries and challenge the status quo.

The Barbell Strategy isn’t about walking the middle path. It’s about embracing both ends of the spectrum—building a safety net while daring to soar toward the sun. It's about understanding that the most creative, the most extraordinary lives are lived on the edge of chaos, where you’re one step away from disaster and one idea away from greatness.

The Why

The Barbell Strategy is a mental model where you place your bets at two extremes: one side in the realm of safety and stability, and the other in the wild unknown, where risks are high but so are the potential rewards. It's called a barbell because, like the physical weightlifting tool, the weight is distributed at both ends, with little to nothing in the middle.

For creatives, this strategy is a way of thinking that breaks the chains of convention. It’s about refusing to play by the rules of mediocrity, where everything is calculated and safe, where every brushstroke, word, or note is vetted through the lens of what’s acceptable or expected. The Barbell Strategy rejects the middle ground, the place where creative souls go to die of boredom and routine.

Why does this matter? Because creativity is inherently risky. It's not a neat, linear process. It's chaotic, unpredictable, and often unforgiving. If you spend all your energy chasing safe bets—projects that pay the bills but don’t set your soul on fire—you risk becoming just another cog in the machine, churning out work that’s forgettable at best.

But on the flip side, if you throw yourself entirely into high-risk ventures with no safety net, you’re playing with fire in a way that can leave you burned out, broke, or worse—disillusioned.

The Barbell Strategy offers a way to navigate this paradox. By anchoring yourself with safe, steady work, you create a foundation that allows you to take bold, creative risks without fear of total collapse. 

This strategy acknowledges that creativity thrives on tension, on the push and pull between security and risk, between the known and the unknown.

The How

Now that you understand the philosophy, let’s break down the “how” into a tangible plan. This isn’t just theory—this is a guide to transforming your creative process into a high-stakes game where you hold the cards. Here’s how to balance safety with risk, order with chaos, and ultimately, mediocrity with greatness.

1. Secure your foundation: Before you dive into the deep end, make sure your foundation is rock solid. This means setting up projects or income streams that are reliable, even if they’re not exhilarating. Think of this as your financial safety net. It might be the client work that pays the bills, or the steady freelance gig that you could do in your sleep. It’s not glamorous, but it’s what allows you to take bigger swings elsewhere.
2. Identify your moonshots: What’s the wild idea that keeps you up at night? The project that’s so risky, so audacious, that it might just be genius—or a total disaster? This is your moonshot. Write it down. Visualize it. Understand that this is where you pour your reckless energy, the creative force that doesn’t fit into neat, predictable boxes. You need at least one of these in your arsenal, but not too many; the Barbell Strategy thrives on balance.
3. Allocate time and resources: You’re playing with fire and ice, and you need to know how much fuel to give each. Dedicate a portion of your time, energy, and resources to your stable projects—say, 70-80%. The remaining 20-30% is your playground for moonshots. The key is not to let one side bleed into the other. Keep the boundaries clear. When you’re working on your foundation, don’t fantasize about your moonshots, and vice versa.
4. Test and iterate: Treat your moonshot like an experiment in a lab. Don’t expect instant success; instead, test small parts of it, see what works, and adjust. This is where you get to play mad scientist. Maybe your idea needs a tweak, or maybe it needs to be torn down and rebuilt. Either way, keep the momentum going. The only real failure is inaction.
5. Review and rebalance: At regular intervals, step back and review the balance. Is your foundation still holding strong? Are your moonshots getting closer to lift-off, or do they need a new angle of attack? The Barbell Strategy isn’t static. It’s a living, breathing approach that evolves with your creative journey. Rebalancing is essential to keep from tipping too far into safety or chaos.

The Barbell Strategy is about harnessing the power of extremes to fuel your creativity. It’s the delicate dance between safety and risk, where your foundation supports your boldest ideas.

Embracing the Fear

Fear is the shadow that follows every great idea, the voice in your head whispering that you’ll fail, that you’ll be exposed as a fraud. It’s tempting to listen, to stay in the comfort zone of what you know works. But here’s the thing: fear is a compass pointing you toward what truly matters. In the Barbell Strategy, risk isn’t just an element—it’s a necessity. 

When you lean into the risk, you push your creative boundaries. The safety net of your foundational projects allows you the freedom to take these risks, to embrace the unknown without the crippling fear of financial ruin. It’s in these moonshot projects where innovation happens. Creativity without risk is like a fire without oxygen—it smolders but never ignites.

So, how do you embrace the fear? You accept that failure is part of the process. You learn to separate your identity from your outcomes. If a moonshot crashes and burns, it doesn’t mean you’re a failure; it means you’re one step closer to finding what works. This is the paradox of creativity: the more you fail, the more you learn, and the more you learn, the more likely you are to succeed. Fear is fuel—use it to stoke the fire of your ambition.

The Power of Focus

In the world of the Barbell Strategy, the middle ground is your enemy. It’s the space where ideas go to die, where creativity is watered down to the point of being unrecognizable. Why? Because the middle ground is where you’re neither safe nor daring—where you’re just… okay. It’s where projects are competent but not extraordinary, where ideas are cautious but not bold. 

To avoid this trap, you must practice the art of focus. This means committing fully to both ends of the barbell. When working on your foundational projects, don’t try to sneak in a little “creative risk” just to keep things interesting. Give them the attention they deserve, but no more. These projects are your anchor, not your playground.

On the other end, when you’re working on your moonshots, let yourself go all-in. This is where you take risks that might not pay off, where you pour your wildest ideas into a crucible and see what survives the heat. There’s no room for half-measures here. The Barbell Strategy demands that you avoid the temptation of diluting your creative power by trying to balance safety and risk within a single project. Instead, keep them separate and let each one thrive in its own domain.

Focus is what allows you to maintain this separation. It’s the discipline to keep your safe projects safe and your risky projects risky. When you master this, you unlock the true power of the Barbell Strategy, creating a dynamic where your creativity can truly soar.

Mistakes to Avoid

Even with a solid plan, it’s easy to stumble. The Barbell Strategy is a high-wire act, and one misstep can send you spiraling. Here are the common mistakes to avoid:

• Overloading on safety: It’s tempting to lean too heavily on your stable projects, but that’s a slow path to creative stagnation. If you’re not taking enough risks, you’re just spinning your wheels in the mud. Don’t let the fear of failure paralyze you. 
• Chasing too many moonshots: On the flip side, don’t scatter your energy across too many wild ideas. You’ll end up with a lot of unfinished projects and no real progress. Focus on one or two big risks and give them the attention they deserve.
• Ignoring your foundation: Moonshots are thrilling, but if you neglect your foundation, you’ll find yourself without the resources to support your creative risks. Keep that steady income or reliable work intact—it’s the engine that powers your bigger ambitions.
• Failing to reassess: The Barbell Strategy isn’t set-and-forget. If you’re not regularly reassessing and rebalancing, you might find yourself off course. What worked last month might not work today. Stay agile.

The Barbell Strategy is about embracing the extremes and finding power in the tension between them. Avoid the traps of overloading on safety or chasing too many moonshots. Keep your foundation strong, but don’t forget to reach for the stars. This is how you walk the line between order and chaos, mediocrity and greatness.

Mental Models to Help You Leverage The Barbell Strategy

Navigating the Barbell Strategy isn’t just about action—it's about mindset. To thrive in this high-stakes creative game, you need mental models that sharpen your decision-making and amplify your effectiveness. These models act as the lenses through which you view the world, helping you make sense of the chaos and balance the extremes.

• The Lindy Effect: The Lindy Effect suggests that the longer something has been around, the longer it's likely to continue existing. When applying this model, consider incorporating timeless practices or ideas into your stable projects. These are the concepts and methods that have stood the test of time, giving your foundation greater resilience. Meanwhile, your moonshots can be more experimental, pushing the boundaries of what's possible.
• Margin of Safety: Borrowed from the world of investing, the Margin of Safety is about building a buffer between your expectations and reality. When applied to the Barbell Strategy, it means ensuring your stable projects have a cushion—extra time, resources, or flexibility—so that if your moonshots fail or take longer than expected to pay off, your foundation remains unshaken.
• The Stockdale Paradox: The Stockdale Paradox teaches us to balance optimism with realism. In the context of the Barbell Strategy, it means maintaining faith in your moonshots while being brutally honest about the challenges you’ll face. It’s about having the resilience to endure the hardships of risk-taking, without losing sight of the bigger picture or the possibility of success.
• Inversion: Inversion is a mental model that flips the problem on its head. Instead of asking, “How do I succeed?” ask, “How do I avoid failure?” In the Barbell Strategy, inversion can help you see the potential pitfalls in your moonshots before they become catastrophic. By identifying what could go wrong, you can build safeguards or adjust your approach to minimize risks, making your high-risk endeavors less dangerous and more calculated.

The Barbell Strategy is more than just a method—it's a mindset. By leveraging these mental models, you can navigate the delicate balance between security and boldness with precision and clarity.

The Barbell Strategy is your blueprint for creative resilience. It’s about balancing security with bold risks, giving you the stability to explore new heights without fear. By anchoring yourself with reliable projects and reaching for audacious goals, you harness the best of both worlds.