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How to Do Great Work

paulgraham.com

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Re: How to Do Great Work

#331

Post by flashgordon »

sillysaurusx wrote: post #330
nip wrote: post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

PG did not use the term moonlighting for the fact that you don’t have to. That is unless you agreed to a contract that forbids from holding multiple jobs. 40h/week paying the bills leaves plenty of free time to do something on the side when you don’t have kids / a family to take care of

> 40h/week paying the bills leaves plenty of free time to do something on the side when you don’t have kids / a family to take care of Show of hands: How many others feel this way? Personally, I can barely muster the energy to do much hacking after a normal job. The only way I've found to do work I've been known for is by blowing off my other responsibilities (sometimes to the annoyance of various people).

So sounds like you are one of the lucky folks who is excited and really enjoying their day job that you dont need a challenge after work. I once heard that those who are very stimulated at work actually spend a lot of energy and need cool down "after work". I (like many I know) can't wait to get home after a soul crushing day (at a pretty well paying job) to work on exciting things! Depends on factors that energize and motivate you I guess!

Re: How to Do Great Work

#332

Post by gherkinnn »

flashgordon wrote: post #331
sillysaurusx wrote: post #330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 40h/week paying the bills leaves plenty of free time to do something on the side when you don’t have kids / a family to take care of Show of hands: How many others feel this way? Personally, I can barely muster the energy to do much hacking after a normal job. The only way I've found to do work I've been known for is by blowing off my other responsibilities (sometimes to the annoyance of various people).

So sounds like you are one of the lucky folks who is excited and really enjoying their day job that you dont need a challenge after work. I once heard that those who are very stimulated at work actually spend a lot of energy and need cool down "after work". I (like many I know) can't wait to get home after a soul crushing day (at a pretty well paying job) to work on exciting things! Depends on factors that energize a…

Or, you know, some people don’t want to continue doing the same thing all day. For whatever reason.

Re: How to Do Great Work

#333

Post by kirso »

edandersen wrote: post #314
thimkerbell wrote: post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, he addresses that. Get a day job. Then do your project on nights and weekends, or else manage your manager into making it part of your job.

The problem with moonlighting a meaningful side project is that any marketing you do will alert HR to the fact you are moonlighting (HR in large corps pay to have employees' social media scanned). In most cases you'll either be told to stop or in the worst case your employer will claim they own it.

I understand the concern, but frankly don't think this is the case.

Nobody really cares about you in the org and in the world in general.

There is a legal implication on side projects on everyone's contract -> so the solution here is to just have an alternative profile on social media...

Oh and don't add HR people on your linkedin.

Re: How to Do Great Work

#334

Post by kirso »

skmurphy wrote: post #246
cushychicken wrote: post #11

Another thing you need: patience. I'm 34, and just in the last year reached the point where I have: - enough experience and context to do great work, and - the right people to leverage that context and experience on meaningful applications It took a lot of waiting for that ideal blend of circumstances to come around. I wish I'd have been able to tell my 26 year old self that as he slogged through an entry level EE jo…

I think people can do great work at any age. Sometimes newcomers look at a long-standing problem and discover or design a new approach that is substantially better. Other times established experts can leverage the breadth of their experience to develop a better solution or offering. For me, the key elements are the desire to create something of value or make a contribution, a willingness to collaborate to extend what…

Exactly, I'd reckon you have a better position to do great work when you are older, given you know yourself better and what makes you tick.

This is IMO impossible without experimentation and doing stupid stuff during the 20s.

I just turned 35 and only starting out on the best work of my life in the shape of offering something of value except for just my time at work prior.

Re: How to Do Great Work

#335

Post by [deleted] »

_x5ft wrote: post #220
emmender wrote: post #188

As Mark Twain said: "I wrote a long essay because I didn't want to put the effort writing a shorter one" - applies to this piece.

Many of us feel this way about his essays. He bloviates often as if on a pedestal without realizing how transparently arrogant he sounds. Many of his ideas inherently contradict his other ideas, or are simply vague and shallow. But he’s rich, so of course he must be an astute philosopher.

[deleted]

Re: How to Do Great Work

#336

Post by havelhovel »

flashgordon wrote: post #331
sillysaurusx wrote: post #330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 40h/week paying the bills leaves plenty of free time to do something on the side when you don’t have kids / a family to take care of Show of hands: How many others feel this way? Personally, I can barely muster the energy to do much hacking after a normal job. The only way I've found to do work I've been known for is by blowing off my other responsibilities (sometimes to the annoyance of various people).

So sounds like you are one of the lucky folks who is excited and really enjoying their day job that you dont need a challenge after work. I once heard that those who are very stimulated at work actually spend a lot of energy and need cool down "after work". I (like many I know) can't wait to get home after a soul crushing day (at a pretty well paying job) to work on exciting things! Depends on factors that energize a…

There are also people who hate their day job, and after dealing with food, chores, and physical fitness, just want to spend their last waking hour or two relaxing before starting over.

Re: How to Do Great Work

#337

Post by [deleted] »

emmender wrote: post #195
rosecross wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Guess you didn’t read to the end

No, I did not. The question is ill-posed imo. I would invert the question and ask: "How not to suck at your work" as that would lead to similar conclusions, and is more actionable. This essay has too many weasel sentences like: "Boldly chase outlier ideas," "Husband your morale" "Doing great work is a depth-first search whose root node is the desire to. " "Curiosity is the best guide." This is woolly-feel-good writin…

[deleted]
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