The greatest juggler alive quit to open a construction business • Hacker News Board

Re: The greatest juggler alive quit to open a construction business

#21

Post by zem » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 5:33 AM UTC

clarky07 wrote: post #13

Schwolop wrote: post #10

I used to run the world's biggest juggling video repository (JuggleThis.net, now defunct) which itself was definitely responsible for a lot of the irritation Gatto found with the new generation of camera-happy juggling kids. Certainly he was frustrated by newcomers filming 100 takes and showing just one (something I'm guilty of too!). But without being a juggler yourself it's hard to express just how much better than…

I'm not ashamed to admit I had to look up Donald Bradman. Cricket? That's the analogy you went with? :-)

there is pretty much no one who has dominated a sport the way bradman dominated cricket, i think. consider - he has the highest lifetime test batting average of all time, at 99.94. which doesn't perhaps sound that impressive, out of context, until you see that the next three people in the record books have averages of 60.97, 60.83 and 60.73. he was more than 50% better than the second-best test batsman around.

Re: The greatest juggler alive quit to open a construction business

#22

Post by jay-anderson » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 5:35 AM UTC

hoodoof wrote: post #2

Because there's no money in juggling?

There certainly is some money in juggling. The article mentioned 50k starting salary at cirque du soleil. But maybe working in concrete lets him spend more time with his family for roughly the same amount of money (or more).

Re: The greatest juggler alive quit to open a construction business

#23

Post by jliechti1 » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 5:38 AM UTC

Schwolop wrote: post #10

I used to run the world's biggest juggling video repository (JuggleThis.net, now defunct) which itself was definitely responsible for a lot of the irritation Gatto found with the new generation of camera-happy juggling kids. Certainly he was frustrated by newcomers filming 100 takes and showing just one (something I'm guilty of too!). But without being a juggler yourself it's hard to express just how much better than…

What about Vova Galchenko? (One of the other jugglers mentioned in the article - the one Anthony inadvertently got into a "competition" with).

As far as putting on a show and performing with poise, Gatto easily wins. In at least some specific areas like clubs, Vova seems to rival him though. He is really consistent and has demonstrated he can perform pretty well too. Here's a direct link to Vova's video [0]. This is probably one of my favorite juggling videos to watch.

Incidentally, I believe Vova has moved on as well- he got a degree in Computer Science and is doing software development these days. His sister Olga has also gone on into engineering.

[0] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEb3YknGUks

Re: The greatest juggler alive quit to open a construction business

#24

Post by zizee » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 5:45 AM UTC

clarky07 wrote: post #13

Schwolop wrote: post #10

I used to run the world's biggest juggling video repository (JuggleThis.net, now defunct) which itself was definitely responsible for a lot of the irritation Gatto found with the new generation of camera-happy juggling kids. Certainly he was frustrated by newcomers filming 100 takes and showing just one (something I'm guilty of too!). But without being a juggler yourself it's hard to express just how much better than…

I'm not ashamed to admit I had to look up Donald Bradman. Cricket? That's the analogy you went with? :-)

I am curious to hear your thoughts on which sportsperson is a more appropriate analogy?

Re: The greatest juggler alive quit to open a construction business

#25

Post by onewaystreet » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 5:46 AM UTC

This is a case of a performer aging and not being able to understand a new medium. Gatto asks if posting videos on youtube will get him another job. He never considers that it can be a job.

Re: The greatest juggler alive quit to open a construction business

#26

Post by ZoF » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 5:54 AM UTC

lifeisstillgood wrote: post #17

zhte415 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree, I see no conflict or tragedy also. He is a man that has pursued excellence, understands quality, likes to work for himself (performer, landscape gardener, etc), seems to have a competitive edge but also seems wise to it, and has demonstrated keenness to carefully coach others or explain how to do things. It should be quite a successful business.

That's probably the most insightful view going - I was simply thinking of him as yet another construction guy. But add that to his story / marketing / brand and ... I will pay extra for the proof of a guy willing to be painstaking to achieve excellence. Given my current troubles with builders, this is a 2x pricing opportunity for him - quite seriously

The company site has zero reference to his past and is registered under his birth name(different from his stage name), so I don't think that's a card he plans on playing.

Do you think he could really have an opportunity to receive 2x pricing? I think there might be a certain opportunity in illustrating the novelty of his past somewhere on the site, but I honestly don't believe most consumers(even for something large like a resurfacing) would take to time to realize the extent to which he excelled at juggling, nor do I think they would translate that to an increased value in his current abilities(at least not a 100% increase). In reality I think that consumer is more often willing to settle for cheap inadequacy than expensive competence, but I might be completely off with that assumption in this industry(or in general).

What do you think? If he could really stand the chance for a significant increase in revenue for something as simple as publicly touting past accomplishments, perhaps he should; he was that good after all.

Re: The greatest juggler alive quit to open a construction business

#27

Post by mcescalante » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 5:57 AM UTC

This reminds me a bit of the Satoshi Nakamoto Newsweek article - A journalist who wants to dig up a juicy story but gets nothing because the guy just wants some privacy. And then he writes an article about being empty handed, accompanied by any research that might have been done along the way.

The guy was a juggler, who probably didn't make tons of money and who was injured & discouraged, or even just going through some regular life struggles (we all have them). He's doing something different for now and harassing him won't change a thing. I feel like he just wanted to be left alone.

Re: The greatest juggler alive quit to open a construction business

#28

Post by virtualwhys » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 5:58 AM UTC

zem wrote: post #21

clarky07 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not ashamed to admit I had to look up Donald Bradman. Cricket? That's the analogy you went with? :-)

there is pretty much no one who has dominated a sport the way bradman dominated cricket, i think. consider - he has the highest lifetime test batting average of all time, at 99.94. which doesn't perhaps sound that impressive, out of context, until you see that the next three people in the record books have averages of 60.97, 60.83 and 60.73. he was more than 50% better than the second-best test batsman around.

Not sure how cricket compares to baseball, but in the 20s and 30s the overall talent level was nowhere near what it's become in modern times.

Saying that, Bradman's batting average is absurdly high, does 99.94 mean that nearly everytime he went to bat he was able to put the ball in play without the opposing team being able to get him out?

If so, the equivalent in baseball would be almost always getting a hit (closest in modern era was, I believe, .424 by Ted Williams), something that would require the hand/eye coordination of superman, basically.

Re: The greatest juggler alive quit to open a construction business

#29

Post by pud » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 6:04 AM UTC

Great article but it makes no mention of Michael Moschen, who many (including me) consider the best & most creative juggler in the world.

Here are some mind-blowing physics that I think the HN community, in particular, would enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjHoedoSUXY

He's also well-known for "contact juggling," where the balls don't leave the hands:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OTb8tga-yg

Re: The greatest juggler alive quit to open a construction business

#30

Post by avalaunch » Wed, Apr 30, 2014, 6:04 AM UTC

clarky07 wrote: post #13

Schwolop wrote: post #10

I used to run the world's biggest juggling video repository (JuggleThis.net, now defunct) which itself was definitely responsible for a lot of the irritation Gatto found with the new generation of camera-happy juggling kids. Certainly he was frustrated by newcomers filming 100 takes and showing just one (something I'm guilty of too!). But without being a juggler yourself it's hard to express just how much better than…

I'm not ashamed to admit I had to look up Donald Bradman. Cricket? That's the analogy you went with? :-)

I had to look him up to, but once I found this, I understood why he went with Donald Bradman over Pele or Jordan or Ali.

http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/the-most-remarkable-graph-in-...