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Be Relentlessly Resourceful

paulgraham.com

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Re: Be Relentlessly Resourceful

#41

Post by sgupta »

nostrademons wrote: post #5

I'm curious about contextual dependence in this... For example, I can often be relentlessly resourceful in technical matters. If an approach doesn't work, then there's some other combination of code that may get us there, it just won't be as easy or elegant. But then we can usually simplify it after the fact to make it reasonably maintainable. But when it comes to social matters, I'm far more likely to just give up t…

With technical matters it seems good to be relentless and focus on your needs. As you mentioned, the goal is to simplify code so that it's maintainable and satisfies you.

With social matters you usually need to be relentless and focus on other people's needs. The goal is to find out what's irking a friend or a customer and fix it to satisfy them.

Re: Be Relentlessly Resourceful

#43

Post by c00p3r »

aitoehigie wrote: post #11

i am a web developer & startup founder based in Nigeria, West Africa, a place where there is hardly any electricity, so my startup is run on generators & inverters, broadband isnt available, dialup is the norm here. the computers we use are 5 years old, the list goes on. but i & my team still get stuff done, because of the passion we have and i guess its because we are 'relentlessly resourcefull'. Thanks pg for anoth…

I'm not sure whether it possible to get them in Nigeria, but devices like Nokia N810 or Google G1 Dev. Phone can be very useful. They can stand by for almost a week. At least for me, here, in Nepal, these devices are very good solutions for electrisity outages. There are only 8 hours per day with power in Kathmandu (4 at morning and 4 at evening), but of course, mobile towers works 24/7. Some cheap netbooks with a 6-cell battaries is also reasonable. They could be used as linux-based test servers (without running X11.)

Re: Be Relentlessly Resourceful

#44

Post by grinich »

I wonder if you can shorten it down even further to just relentless.

When all of the employees quit, when rent is due, and when the ramen runs out, it takes a certain kind of person to continue working. And I think it's more than just being resourceful, although that's a big part. It takes relentless dedication to keep pushing forward and innovating, when all the tides are pulling the wrong way. Edison had it this drive. I think Einstein did as well. And if you look at the few dozen founders of successful startups, I think you'll find they have it too. They're relentless. They don't take weekends off and they don't quit at five. But they're not a workaholic, because it isn't work. It's their life.

Re: Be Relentlessly Resourceful

#45

Post by Rod »

aitoehigie wrote: post #11

i am a web developer & startup founder based in Nigeria, West Africa, a place where there is hardly any electricity, so my startup is run on generators & inverters, broadband isnt available, dialup is the norm here. the computers we use are 5 years old, the list goes on. but i & my team still get stuff done, because of the passion we have and i guess its because we are 'relentlessly resourcefull'. Thanks pg for anoth…

If your startup's core competence is online 419 scams then I wish you guys were a bit less resourceful ;-))

(sorry dude, but I couldn't help it... though distasteful this joke might seem)

Re: Be Relentlessly Resourceful

#46

Post by medianama »

Rod wrote: post #45
aitoehigie wrote: post #11

i am a web developer & startup founder based in Nigeria, West Africa, a place where there is hardly any electricity, so my startup is run on generators & inverters, broadband isnt available, dialup is the norm here. the computers we use are 5 years old, the list goes on. but i & my team still get stuff done, because of the passion we have and i guess its because we are 'relentlessly resourcefull'. Thanks pg for anoth…

If your startup's core competence is online 419 scams then I wish you guys were a bit less resourceful ;-)) (sorry dude, but I couldn't help it... though distasteful this joke might seem)

Wish I could down vote you

Re: Be Relentlessly Resourceful

#47

Post by Rod »

medianama wrote: post #46
Rod wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your startup's core competence is online 419 scams then I wish you guys were a bit less resourceful ;-)) (sorry dude, but I couldn't help it... though distasteful this joke might seem)

Wish I could down vote you

Kind of PC, aren't we? Lower bound is -8. Knock yourself out.

Re: Be Relentlessly Resourceful

#49

Post by ajju »

anuraggoel wrote: post #7

I guess the (surprisingly) restrained reception to 'How to be an angel investor' forced pg to explicitly point out its key takeaway for founders and write a whole new essay for it. He just doesn't stop trying to do good - a different kind of relentless resourcefulness.

If you read the angel investing article as an entrepreneur, it is hard to miss pg's one recommendation to potential investors on how to pick good entrepreneurs: it is to pick those who are the opposite of hapless. I have been thinking about what being the "opposite of hapless" means very specifically for me at this time ever since I read the article. It was one of the things that drove me yesterday to just sit down and start hacking away at a hard problem I have after dithering on it for a couple of weeks.

I almost expected this essay.

Re: Be Relentlessly Resourceful

#50

Post by ajju »

Regarding: "I'm pathologically optimistic about people's ability to change."

I am very interested in finding out if this optimism is based (somewhat empirically) on your experiences or is more of an intuitive belief based on your general outlook in life.

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