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Ask HN: Why did this post cost me 10% of subscribers?

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Ask HN: Why did this post cost me 10% of subscribers?

#1
A few days ago I published a post with the title: In 2014, if you want happiness, choose work

After this post my number of subscribers decreased almost 10%. This made me curious: why did this happen?

Was it because of my tone? Was because of some bad english? Or was because people don't agree with my point? And if it is because of this last one, why not?

I'm interested in knowing the point of view from the people of HN.

EDIT: I forgot the url for the blog post - http://danielflopes.com/choosework/

Re: Ask HN: Why did this post cost me 10% of subscribers?

#3
It makes very depressing and uninspiring reading; I don't want to think of my life as being consumed by work.

I think you just need a slightly different angle: many happy people have a driving project or belief that inspires them. I think that's what you meant to say. And it's different from "work", which is a four letter synonym for drudgery.

Re: Ask HN: Why did this post cost me 10% of subscribers?

#5
post #3

It makes very depressing and uninspiring reading; I don't want to think of my life as being consumed by work. I think you just need a slightly different angle: many happy people have a driving project or belief that inspires them. I think that's what you meant to say. And it's different from "work", which is a four letter synonym for drudgery.

Thanks. That's helpful.

Re: Ask HN: Why did this post cost me 10% of subscribers?

#7
You seem to be promoting a recipe for burnout, and that's not a popular viewpoint on HN. Of course you need to work hard at anything to be successful, whether it's sports, art, or a startup, but you need to have balance. For example, after dinner I like to read Dr. Seuss to my 14 month old daughter rather than books about programming or startups. When she's asleep, my wife and I like to watch crime dramas on TV. I like that my work stays between business hours and after that, it's family time.

Re: Ask HN: Why did this post cost me 10% of subscribers?

#8
Probably because the post was incongruous with why they subscribed in the first place. 10% of what number? Which post gets you the most subscriptions?

Picking Sam Walton as a role-model of happiness is unsubstantiated -- he was definitely rich, so a better title might be: "If you want money, work more" -- which is essentially what you wrote.

Re: Ask HN: Why did this post cost me 10% of subscribers?

#9
OP, do you have a family (e.g. significant other, kids)? The post reads a bit preachy. When I read this, I think: the only type of person who would recommend this lifestyle is an early 20-something male who doesn't have much else going in their lives. That may or may not be correct (and it shows as much about my own personal bias as it does about the post), and even if it is correct, that's not a bad thing since if that's the significant demographic that you might be aiming for.

However, if you have subscribers who have a life at home, with family, that they enjoy, or just enjoy hobbies that are not congruent with making a living, I can see why they felt alienated by this post.

Re: Ask HN: Why did this post cost me 10% of subscribers?

#10

The url to the blog post: http://danielflopes.com/choosework/

Worst. Idea. Ever.

Stop for a moment and think about what you're promoting: exactly the opposite of most HN readers's want: a work-centric life and an existence that's obsessed with more money, more knowledge, more power.

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