One of the things I’ve often heard successful investors mention as a founder trait to look for is clarity of thought. Clear thinking about the problem they’re solving and the solution they’ve built or want to build. Thoughts they can articulate clearly and concisely so others can follow along and that show they have great understanding of the topic.

For most founders, clarity of thought isn’t something that happens on the fly. It’s usually the result of taking time to truly understand a problem and thinking deeply about what you’ve learned. Deep thinking helps you organize your thoughts so you can express them clearly. And as you think about the problem more, you build conviction that you understand the problem and how to solve it based on a unique insight that others may have missed.

As I shared yesterday, paying attention to one thing at a time is important (as Charlie Munger has pointed out). Making time to think will help you do that. Making time to think is also important for founders because it leads to the clarity of thought and conviction that usually precede outsize success.