Instant vs. Compounding Knowledge: What to Learn and When

Read time: 7 minutes

Hey, welcome back.

Last week, I wrote about the psychology of future you - how most of us treat tomorrow’s self like a stranger - and why that quietly wrecks long-term results.

​You can read that (and all past issues, here).

By the way, if you're finding these insights helpful, I've started collecting all these tools, resources, and one-sheets in the ever-growing 'Science of Success' vault. Check it out here.

Today, I want to explore something foundational I wish someone had handed me at the beginning:
​When to chase fast-track, applicable knowledge, and when to trust the slow gains of wisdom.

Because not all knowledge has the same return. Some changes show up instantly, others compound over years. The trick is knowing when to lean into each.

Two Types of Learning That Should Live Together

I split knowledge into two buckets:

1. Instant Applicable Knowledge - "Get Better Now"​
Quick payoff, tactical, boosts momentum. Examples:

• Writing a clear newsletter that builds trust with readers.
• Running a crowdfunding campaign that actually works.
• Blocking your calendar for deep work so you stop drowning in Slack.
• Building rituals like walking daily or taking a supplement routine that starts paying off this week.

2. Accumulated Knowledge - "Get Better Over Time"​
Slow burn, deep payoffs, builds resilience. Examples:

• Learning the science of sleep and how it sustains creativity.
• Developing leadership that balances empathy with tough calls.
• Training your mind to detach from ego so you can last decades.
• Building trust and integrity into a brand until it compounds.

Both matter. But at different stages, one matters more.

Stage 1: Launch and Early Hustle - Lean Into Fast Wins

If you’re starting something new, you need applied confidence. You don’t need another abstract book on philosophy. You need something that helps you today.

For me, this meant tactical knowledge early on. Things like:

• How to structure the Heights newsletter in under 3 minutes of reading.
• How to pitch investors without bullshitting.
• How to tell my story authentically instead of hiding behind jargon.

That type of knowledge got us through our first crowdfunding round. Without it, no amount of deep neuroscience reading would have mattered.

Your focus in this stage? Learn things you can use this week.

Stage 2: Growth and Reflection - Layer in the Slow Wisdom

Once you’ve got momentum, you hit different problems. Leading a team. Protecting culture. Learning to be calm when shit hits the fan.

That is when accumulated wisdom starts paying off. For me, that was the science of sleep, mindfulness, and reframing mental health as braincare. It wasn’t a quick tactic. It was a philosophy that shifted how I lived and led.

This is the stage to lean into longer-term, slower knowledge. It won’t fix your Monday morning, but it will change how you last 5 years in the game.

Stage 3: Legacy and Longevity - Live Off the Slow Knowledge

When you’ve built something that works, the only thing that sustains you is wisdom.

Not hacks. Not funnels. Not quick fixes.

I learned this the hard way when insomnia and anxiety wiped me out. The fix wasn’t a new tactic. It was rest, routines, and an identity shift from chasing hustle to protecting health. That slow type of knowledge is what still keeps me standing.

At this stage, wisdom becomes your moat.

How to Tell What Type You’re Learning

Ask yourself:

• If I use this today, does something improve this week? That’s instant applicable knowledge.
• If I keep practising this for years, will my life look completely different later? That’s accumulated wisdom.

Both are valid. But leaning too hard into one hurts you. Hacks without wisdom burn you out. Philosophy without action makes you irrelevant.

My Inflection Point

When Heights was just starting, I leaned too hard into fast knowledge - fundraising, branding, launching. It worked, but it also drained me.

Eventually, I realised the company would only grow if I grew. That meant leaning into slow, sometimes boring knowledge - sleep hygiene, nutrition, leadership that protects wellbeing.

That mix is what built Heights into something sustainable. And it’s the same for you. You need both gears.

Quick Contrasts to Spot the Difference

• Business: Fast = pitching, copywriting. Slow = building trust and culture.
• Health: Fast = walking daily, taking magnesium. Slow = sleep mastery, meditation.
• Leadership: Fast = clear team OKRs. Slow = empathy, humility, radical honesty.
• Wealth: Fast = learning how to budget. Slow = letting investments compound.
• Identity: Fast = deciding to be a “founder” or “dad”. Slow = making those roles healthy and sustainable.

Final Thought

Great knowledge isn’t about learning everything. It’s about timing.

• In the beginning, learn what moves the needle this week.
• As you grow, study what helps you survive 5 years.
• Long term, lean on wisdom that makes you last decades.

Knowledge is a portfolio. Balance the instant returns with the compounding assets.

To smart learning,

Dan

SOS (Science of Success) Curated:

LinkedIn of the week: Quitting a toxic job doesn’t mean you gave up.​

Podcast of the week: Timing Light for Better Sleep, Energy & Mood​

My Tweet of the week: How to feel better next Monday​

Research Worth Reading

A 2017 study from Behavioural and Brain Sciences (Shiffrin et al.) makes a clear distinction between short-term memory’s control processes and long-term memory systems. It validates the idea that immediate, actionable learning takes one mental path - simpler, quicker, task-oriented - while knowledge that endures over years is stored in long-term memory structures built through repeated, deeper encoding. These aren’t just academic labels; they're how your brain actually learns different types of stuff.

Quick Takeaway​
Think of learning like architecture. Short-term stuff goes into a pop-up tent - quick to set up, quick to take down. Long-term knowledge builds a foundation that remains, supports, and compounds over time. The real skill is knowing when to pitch a tent and when to lay brick.

​→ Link to stud​y​

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1-1 Coaching with Dan

In my goal to help more entrepreneurs/people who are looking to level up their careers, I've just started taking 1-1 consulting calls (only 1 a week)

Why book a call? Some of my expertise/success:

I've built 5 startups. 1 win, 1 fail, and 3 still going.

E-Commerce: Heights - with revenue over $15M a year.

Community: Foundrs, one of the UK's top founder communities

Podcasting: Leaders Media - bootstrapped media company that makes the UK's top business podcasts, Secret Leaders, with over 50M downloads.

Health/Mental Health: Managed to overcome burnout, insomnia, depression & anxiety in pursuit of success as I talk about in my interview with Steven Bartlett on Diary of a CEO​

Angel Investing: I've invested in over 90 startups

Coached & Mentored: Certified coach & done lots of mentoring

Personal Brand: Have grown to 178k on LinkedIn and X (Twitter) in the past 12 months

So if you're interested in booking a session with me to talk all things business or building a personal brand, book for 30-minutes or 45-minutes. (limited spots).

Science of Success Vault

I'm building a vault of valuable tools, resources, and one sheets that I hope help you succeed.

These will be stored in the ever-growing 'Science of Success' vault - you can always access that here

Want to take your success (even more) seriously? 👇​
🧠 Fuel your brain and feed your gut, try Heights here (use code 'SOSDMS' for 15% off your first month of any subscription

🎧 Check out my podcast Secret Leaders here​

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