Make sure sales compensation is very closely tied to performance, i.e. don't put salespeople on a vesting schedule tied only to time passing.
Ask HN: What did you learn the hard way?
161–170 of 322 posts
Re: Ask HN: What did you learn the hard way?
#162If you're a dev, don't work for a company where software development is viewed as a cost center--you want your work to be viewed as something that brings in revenue. (Learned the hard way when I worked at a large bank.)
I think that these days, the best large banks do not view software development as a cost center anymore. I'm hearing more and more from people in banking that banks these days are basically IT companies with added security constraints.
Re: Ask HN: What did you learn the hard way?
#163You don't have to be nice to everyone all the time. It's better to be grumpy, opinionated and even a nay sayer sometimes than to fake smile through everything. Because doing the later can give you physical symptoms like real back pain and migraines (collectively known as TMS) and millions of people suffer from it, get surgeries, medicine yet don't know that their persona is the cause of their physical pains. This is…
Could you elaborate how being nice can cause a physical pain?
Re: Ask HN: What did you learn the hard way?
#164Either I'm your customer or you're my customer. All transactions with another business should be buy/sell.
This one is great; easier to understand than the often quoted one. I shall steal!
Re: Ask HN: What did you learn the hard way?
#165Earlier quoted context omitted.
The fact that you are calling him "Mr" Peterson says a lot of depressing things about you.
What is the context of this comment? I don't know who Jordan Peterson is or what he's done.
He's a pop-psychologist and likes to throw big words around, pseudo intellectuals love him. He bases his ideas off of sketchy social science and if you have even a modicum of exposure to this material, you know he's just a slick talker looking to make a buck.
Re: Ask HN: What did you learn the hard way?
#166A few things: 1) People's words are like deep water. Pay careful attention to what people say--it's profoundly revealing (more than they realize). By listening, I've been able to identify people who intended to trouble me in some way. It's incredible, they just can't keep it inside even when pretending to be nice. 2) Actions speak louder than words (given #1, this is really saying something). Don't look for people to…
Could you expound on (1). I have been toyed around by my former Co founder who sweet talked me into believing him. I still think I suck at understanding human behaviour and nature. Are there any telling signs that help you?
First, an example:
Decades ago, a friend of mine at the time (female) met a guy. She was really beautiful and a genuinely nice person, so lots of guys would ask her out. She told me about a date with this one guy, and he didn't call her again. Even though she hid some of the details, I was able to ascertain the general contours of what happened and was able to figure out his agenda. How? Because of something he said to her.
She told me that he picked her up and they went out for diner, but when he dropped her off at home he became concerned about parking, wondering if a garbage truck might pin him in the next morning. At the time, she thought nothing of that. But she explained to me that she hadn't planned for him to stay overnight.
But what he said was a pretty BIG siren. It was obvious he already intended to stay the night, otherwise why would parking the next morning matter? My guess is that if she had known his agenda she would have viewed him differently and maybe been more wary.
End of story? He never called her again. She was mystified as to why. I thought: well of course he didn't call--got what he wanted!
In response to your question, wouldn't say that there are telling signs, it's more about the content of what people say as the story above illustrates.
A few other loose thoughts about understanding people:
1) It's dangerous to assume that other people think as you do. In fact, people come from a range of contexts and backgrounds which are not obvious when you meet them. They are perfectly happy to smile and nod with you while completely disagreeing.
2) People are heavily self-interested. Unless it's your mother (and sometimes even then), expect people to look out for themselves first. Someone making a show of sacrificing for you? Hmm.
3) People enjoy feeling superior to others, even in very minor things. Shrewd people know this and use that information to their advantage. (Not advising this, just saying what people do).
4) Chinese proverb: the dog that can bite doesn't bark. When people have the capability to get you, they don't have to talk about it--they do it. The big talkers generally don't have the ability (though there is the occasional outlier).
You may want to look into some books on this topic. A useful one is 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. Not saying that you should follow his advice, but it is useful in understanding games that people play at work.
Book link (not affiliate) - https://amzn.to/2dzBqXD
Re: Ask HN: What did you learn the hard way?
#167Earlier quoted context omitted.
[flagged]
He got fired? That's news to me. He's still on the U of T directory. http://home.psych.utoronto.ca/staff/undergrad.htm As for his views on SJWs, that's a small part of what he does. He's an evolutionary psychologist. He takes the long view of things, and discovered that some religions got some things right, and that's reflected in the stories we tell each other.
"
Peterson at the University of Toronto in March 2017
In response to the controversy, academic administrators at the University of Toronto sent Peterson two letters of warning, one noting that free speech had to be made in accordance with human rights legislation and the other adding that his refusal to use the preferred personal pronouns of students and faculty upon request could constitute discrimination. Peterson speculated that these warning letters were leading up to formal disciplinary action against him, but in December the university assured him that he would retain his professorship, and in January 2017 he returned to teach his psychology class at the University of Toronto."
-Wikipedia
Whatever, close enough.
"He takes the long view of things"
Nonstatement.
"and discovered that some religions got some things right"
Funny that you brought religion into this - he is a lot like religion, that is - he has a lot of fans, and gets some things right, infrequently.
Re: Ask HN: What did you learn the hard way?
#168If you're going to hop a fence to take a shortcut to your friend's house to play Mario Party after your last winter exam, check how deep the snow on the other side is first.
Re: Ask HN: What did you learn the hard way?
#169Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think this is a pretty accurate summary, as probably evidenced by the downvotes you are getting (and I no doubt will get). :)
If that's your takeaway of someone who has decades-long career and has hours upon hours of free lectures available (of which none I'm sure you've watched), then yeah, you're an idiot and you're part of the problem of overreacting to ideas that don't safely reside in your bubble.
And yet you fail to summarize one profound discovery he made.
Re: Ask HN: What did you learn the hard way?
#170Personal finance. I never took a budgeting class in high school and college, my parents lived paycheck to paycheck (still do), when I earned my first internship I was making over $1000 per pay period, that was a lot of money for someone who had only worked part time jobs for $10/hr before hand. By the time I got my second internship I earned more than my mother, who was the breadwinner. Once I was converted to full t…
Any particular advice on managing your finances that you're willing to share?
For me, the most important thing was to budget. I used the YNAB app and made a line item for all of my spending. It took a few months to adhere to the budget but once I did I got the ball rolling. I also did not know how to invest, so I did some reading on IRAs, mutual funds, 401ks, etc. to better understand this. I also started paying more attention to my credit.