Justin Mikolay

Hi, I'm Justin.

I surround myself w/people doing important things and putting something new into the world. I founded and run Sorenborn, a comms and storytelling firm for industry-defining CEOs and tech startups.

Previously, I served aboard a nuclear submarine, wrote and led comms alongside U.S. Secretaries of Defense and Four-Star Generals, helped scale Palantir into a billion-dollar company, and founded a company around preserving knowledge.

Here are some of my personal beliefs. At one point, I distilled the big ideas of the most interesting people on Twitter.

I've had a life-long obsession with tech, writing, and the creative process, and I've always wondered what makes humans so creative in the first place. My favorite people are curious, optimistic, enthusiastic, resourceful, imaginative, forward-looking, and kind. They share an appreciation for the gift and mystery of human consciousness. They also share an essential optimism and faith in humanity. Their common theme: the unlimited potential for human progress.

It's impossible to study progress and not have faith in our potential. Everyone living today should be astonished by how far we've come, grateful to be alive, and determined to preserve what we have. Never underestimate the ingenuity of humans cooperating in groups.

I'm influenced by techno-optimism and storytelling. "At the highest level of creativity," E.O. Wilson said, "all human beings talk and sing and tell stories." Humans have an absolute, overwhelming, innate, and constant need to grow and share.

I'm inspired every day by exceptional founders, creators, thinkers, and communicators. I'm happiest if I'm engaged in a cycle of learning and doing. And I love to run for reasons that have nothing to do with getting in shape.

I live and work in Annapolis, Maryland.

Best,
Justin

p.s. Years ago, I collaborated w/Ash Lamb and Janis Ozolins on a passion project: distill the worldview of successful people and creators. People who build on the ideas of others and help more people do the same. Here's the result:

I write about communication and creativity. Some popular posts include:

• How to Write Something Compelling
• How to Write Something New
• Make Things. Make More Things From Those Things.
• Communication and Leadership
• The Parable of the Painter
• 26 of the Most Important Things I've Learned (About Life, Career, and Relationships)
• 20 of the Most Powerful, Non-Obvious Ideas in Professional Life
• A Theory of Creativity That Will Simplify Your Writing Process
• Why You Should Create and Build a Book of Wisdom Throughout Your Life
• Four Realizations About Writing ... In 444 Words
• Big Ideas From Everything I've Written About Writing and Creativity
• Stages of the Builder's Journey — a Blueprint for Aspiring Creators
• Getting Back in Shape
• The Arts and the Military