Things You're Allowed to Do

By Milan Cvitkovic (December 2020, updated January 2023)

Catalogs unconventional but legitimate opportunities people often overlook.

Core Thesis

"In general, just ask for things, even if you've never heard someone ask for them. It's okay if the things are crazy. You can always mollify afterward by saying 'I know that's a crazy thing to ask for, but I have a rule that I always ask.'"

Key Categories

Learning & Decision-Making

• Hire graduate students for research projects
• Find experts through scholarly articles and niche blogs
• Run surveys via Twitter, Google Surveys, Mechanical Turk
• Host small conferences on topics of personal interest
• Use language tutors instead of apps

Interpersonal

• Say "I don't know" instead of pretending
• Travel and relocate for friendship maintenance
• Nomadic living with timeshares among friend groups
• Use writing as a conversation starter

Resource Optimization

• Calculate your time's true worth, then spend accordingly
• Repair services for shoes, clothes, luggage, furniture
• Treat parking fines as payment for convenience
• Renegotiate bills
• Let recurring payment cards expire

Professional

• Bypass job postings with direct pitches
• Negotiate job offers (easier than raises)
• Request signing bonuses equal to stock option exercise costs
• Drop out or take leave without being kicked out
• Cold-contact anyone, including famous people
• Market-test ideas via landing pages and cheap ad campaigns

Central Message

Perceived constraints are often self-imposed rather than real. Most opportunities require only asking directly or spending modest money.