The best people constantly ask the Hamming question—"what are the most important problems in your field, and why aren't you working on them?" Almost no one reflects on this enough; the best do it the most, and develop the best 'problem taste': a mix of independent thinking, reasoning about the future, and identifying attack vectors.

They combine laser focus on the next step in front of them with long-term vision. Most people only have one or the other.

Extreme persistence and willingness to work hard appears non-negotiable. Be suspicious of anyone who tells you otherwise—unless you'd be happy having their career, and especially suspicious if they themselves worked hard.

Bias toward action paired with brutal honesty about what is working and what isn't. The honesty cuts both ways: a surprising number of people see something working and still fail to pursue it.

They are relentless idea-generators. Many of the ideas are terrible, but there is never a shortage.

They value autonomy intensely and struggle with rules that don't make sense to them. They are definitely not lemmings.

Their motivations are often more complex than they appear—frequently driven by genuine curiosity rather than the obvious external rewards.