The Permissionless Approach to Achieving the Life You Want

This article is based on insights from Episode #27 of the Creator Alchemy podcast with guest Jay Yang. Get the full deep dive on your favorite podcast player or YouTube now.

“Most people spend more time planning their weekend than planning their career.”

This is one of my favorite quotes from a recent episode of the Creator Alchemy podcast where I sat down with Jay Yang, an incredible creator who’s inspired me to grow (personally and professionally) ever since I first came across his stuff a few years ago.

While most people sit around daydreaming about a better life and waiting until they feel “ready” to take action, Jay proves you don't need permission to create extraordinary opportunities.

He built a six-figure business and hundreds of thousands of social media followers, interned with Tyler Denk at beehiiv, then became Head of Content for Noah Kagan where he led the social media campaign that made Noah's book, Million Dollar Weekend, a NYT bestseller.

Then he graduated high school.

Now, at age 19, he’s dropping out of college to work with Alex and Leila Hormozi at acquisition.com.

Jay isn’t even old enough to legally drink yet and he’s already accomplished more than most people will their entire lives.

In his latest book, You Can Just Do Things: The Power of Permissionless Action, Jay shares his philosophy (and strategies) on adopting a “permissionless approach” to achieving the life you want.

In our recent podcast conversation, Jay shared the psychological principles behind this approach and how you can apply it to your own life and business.

Here are the ten key insights that can transform how you think about opportunity, growth, and success…

1. Do the Work Upfront (Don't Just Ask How You Can Help)

The Psychology: Most people operate from a scarcity mindset, hoarding their ideas and expertise until someone pays them. This creates a paradox—no one knows how good you are because you never demonstrate it.

Jay's Approach: When he wanted to work with Noah Kagan, Jay didn't send a generic "I'd love to help" email. Instead, he spent 50 hours creating a 19-slide pitch deck deconstructing Noah's content strategy, identifying gaps, and including nine ready-to-publish pieces of content.

The Insight: People don't pay for information—they pay for implementation. By doing the work upfront, you eliminate the biggest barrier to opportunity: uncertainty about your capabilities.

Action Step: Instead of asking "How can I help?" create something valuable and lead with "Here's how I can help (and here's proof)."

2. The Three Obsession Tests: Finding Your Psychological Sweet Spot

The Psychology: Intrinsic motivation—doing something because you genuinely enjoy it—is the strongest predictor of long-term success. But most people struggle to identify what truly drives them versus what they think should drive them.

Jay's Framework:

• The P Test: What makes you so engaged you forget to pee, eat, or drink water?

• The Midnight Test: What keeps you working past midnight not because of deadlines, but because you can't stop?

• The Boredom Test: What do you find engaging that others find boring?

The Insight: Your obsession isn't just what you love—it's what you can't not do. When you find this intersection, work stops feeling like work and becomes a form of play that others can't sustain.

Action Step: Audit your last month. When did time disappear? What "work" felt effortless? That's your starting point.

3. Show Evidence, Not Arguments (The Psychology of Changing Minds)

The Psychology: When people have emotional investments in their beliefs (like parents wanting their kids to take "safe" paths), logical arguments often backfire because it’s all theoretical and lacks certainty. Evidence, however, bypasses these issues and offers concrete proof it’s a viable path.

Jay's Experience: Rather than arguing with his parents about why entrepreneurship was viable, he accumulated small wins—job offers, income, recognition—that made his success undeniable.

The Insight: Your loved ones don't want to control you; they want to protect you. Show them that your "risky" path is actually safer than the traditional one by demonstrating competence over time.

Action Step: Build a stack of small evidence rather than making grand proclamations. Let your results do the convincing.

4. Build Friends, Not Networks (The Reciprocity Principle)

The Psychology: Transactional relationships trigger psychological defenses, while genuine relationships activate the reciprocity principle—people naturally want to help those who've helped them without expectation.

Jay's Philosophy: "I don't want a network, I just want friends. So why would I not treat people like my friends?"

The Insight: The most successful people collaborate rather than compete. When you approach relationships with genuine curiosity and generosity, opportunities emerge organically rather than through forced networking.

Action Step: Reach out to someone whose work inspired you—not to ask for anything, but simply to express appreciation. Plant seeds without expecting a harvest.

5. Reframe Imposter Syndrome as Liminal Tension

The Psychology: Imposter syndrome is often misunderstood as a pathology when it's actually a normal response to growth. Psychologically, it signals you're entering what's called a "liminal space"—the threshold between who you were and who you're becoming. Instead of calling this nervousness or discomfort “Imposter Syndrome,” I like to think of it more as “Liminal Tension,” because I’m butting up against my growth edges and entering a new phase of life, a new domain of interest or expertise, a new identity, etc.

The Reframe: Instead of "I don't belong here," try "This is new territory, and discomfort means I'm growing."

The Insight: That nervous energy isn't a bug—it's a feature. It means you're pushing your edges and expanding your capabilities. The goal isn't to eliminate the feeling but to recognize it as evidence of evolution.

Action Step: Next time you feel "imposter syndrome," ask: "What new capability am I developing that's making me uncomfortable?"

6. The North Star Decision Filter (Cognitive Load Reduction)

The Psychology: Decision fatigue is real. Having too many options without clear criteria leads to analysis paralysis and poor choices. A North Star acts as a cognitive filter, simplifying complex decisions.

Jay's Method: Every opportunity gets evaluated through one lens: "Does this move me closer to my North Star?"

The Insight: Clarity about your ultimate direction makes day-to-day decisions effortless. You're not choosing between options—you're choosing between aligned and misaligned paths.

Action Step: Define your North Star in one sentence. Then audit your current commitments—what's moving you toward it, and what's pulling you away?

7. Find Your Torture (The Paradox of Meaningful Suffering)

The Psychology: This relates to the concept of eudaimonia versus hedonia—meaningful engagement versus pleasure-seeking (we’ll come back to this in #10). Research shows that people who find meaning in their struggles report higher life satisfaction than those who only pursue comfort.

Insight: Jay and I discuss one of my favorite quotes by Jerry Seinfeld, "Your blessing in life is when you find the torture you're comfortable with."

The Application: Success isn't about avoiding difficulty—it's about choosing your difficulty. Writing a book is hard, but it's Jay's chosen hard. Building a business is stressful, but it's stress he welcomes.

Action Step: What kind of suffering are you willing to embrace? That's likely where your greatest potential lies.

8. Permission is a Psychological Prison

The Psychology: Many people suffer from learned helplessness—they've been conditioned to wait for authority figures to grant permission. This creates a psychological barrier that's often stronger than any external obstacle.

Jay's Metaphor: "So many people walk past the door assuming it's locked, so they never try the handle. What you'll find is oftentimes the door is unlocked."

The Insight: Most limitations are self-imposed. The permission you're waiting for is yours to give yourself.

Action Step: Identify one thing you've been waiting to get permission for. Then ask: "What would happen if I just tried the handle?"

9. Compress Your Timeline Through Strategic Relationships

The Psychology: Social learning theory shows we learn faster through observation and modeling than through trial and error. By connecting with people who've already achieved what you want, you can "download" years of learning in months.

Jay's Strategy: Instead of networking broadly, he identified specific people living the life he wanted and found ways to add value to their world.

The Insight: Your network isn't just about who you know—it's about who you can learn from. The right mentor relationship can compress decades into years.

Action Step: Identify three people living your ideal life. Study them deeply, then find a way to contribute to their mission.

10. Choose Long-term Fulfillment Over Short-term Pleasure

The Psychology: This is the difference between hedonia (pleasure-seeking) and eudaimonia (meaning-making). Research consistently shows that eudaimonic well-being—finding purpose in your actions—leads to greater life satisfaction than hedonic pursuits.

Jay's Example: While his peers party and sleep in, he wakes up early to write, reads biographies for research, and treats every setback as material for his story.

The Insight: The question isn't "What feels good today?" but "What will I be proud of looking back?" When you optimize for long-term fulfillment, short-term sacrifices become investments rather than losses.

Action Step: Before making any significant decision, ask: "Which choice makes for the better story?"

Final Thoughts

What makes Jay's approach so effective isn't just his tactics—it's his understanding of human psychology. He recognizes that:

• People are more likely to say yes when you reduce their cognitive load

• Relationships built on genuine appreciation last longer than transactional ones

• Internal motivation sustains effort longer than external pressure

• Evidence changes minds more effectively than arguments

• Growth feels uncomfortable, and that's normal

These aren't just business strategies—they're psychological principles that apply to every area of life.

Jay's story isn't remarkable because he's exceptionally talented (though he is). It's remarkable because he consistently chooses action over hesitation, evidence over arguments, and long-term fulfillment over short-term comfort.

The permission you're waiting for isn't coming from anyone else. The door you think is locked probably isn't. The person you think you need to become before you can start? You become them by starting.

As Jay puts it: "You can just do things."

The question isn't whether you're ready. The question is: Are you willing to try the handle?

Until next time—memento mori,

Corey

Listen to the Full Conversation

Listen to my interview with Jay Yang on your favorite podcast player or YouTube now.

Connect with Jay:

• Jay’s Newsletter

• Twitter (X)

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

Get Jay’s Latest Book: You Can Just Do Things: The Power of Permissionless Action

Want more insights on overcoming the psychological barriers that keep creators stuck? I share psychological insights to help you transform your business, your life, and yourself.

Here’s how I can help:

• Join the Creator Alchemy Lab, an online community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves. “It’s like 80% personal development and 20% business strategy.” Join now to attend live group coaching calls and workshops each month, access replays of past events, unlock tons of async resources and discussion posts, and do it all alongside an incredibly supportive (and active) community of ambitious creators taking bold action.

• Check out the ​Creator Alchemy podcast​ for even more incredible content.

• Read more articles at coreywilkspsyd.com