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Some advice from Jeff Bezos

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Re: Some advice from Jeff Bezos

#111

Post by 2muchcoffeeman »

edw519 wrote: post #7

If someone can’t climb out of the details, and see the bigger picture from multiple angles, they’re often wrong most of the time. This works both ways. If someone can't get more than one level below the surface and understand the details that form the whole, they’re also often wrong much of the time. Just ask any boss I've ever had.

Someone obsessed with details that only support one point of view.

The previous line was important I thought. You have to understand a bit about everything. No point knowing a lot of technical details about something in a business but not understanding where you fit in that business.

Re: Some advice from Jeff Bezos

#112

Post by 2muchcoffeeman »

Xcelerate wrote: post #106
brian_cloutier wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I only took high school physics and a Google search isn't returning anything. Could you tell me why a spinning ball weighs more than a stationary ball? Another comment seems to claim that since E=mc2, rotational energy can be converted to to mass and viola, the earth is heavier because it has more energy! But that doesn't make sense to me. Maybe frame dragging has something to do with it? Your pulling of space-time t…

"Mass" is an overloaded word. Nowadays, when physicists refer to a particle's mass, they are referring to what may more specifically be called its "rest-mass" or "invariant-mass". This is a property fundamental to the particle, much as how charge or spin is. This value never changes, and it is associated with a certain amount of energy (E=mc^2). "Relativistic-mass" is the other use of "mass", although I prefer to jus…

This is why I feel you need to be really precise when talking about science. As you said, "mass" refers to "rest-mass". So I can't help but feel that your original statement is really just a play on words to try and trick people.

Re: Some advice from Jeff Bezos

#113

Post by 001sky »

npsimons wrote: post #79
Sumaso wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like you need to look at that quote a little bit more... I think your missing the point.

I think your[sic] missing the point. Speaking of missing details and being wrong . . .

> Your point has gone missing.

Re: Some advice from Jeff Bezos

#114

Post by aptwebapps »

2muchcoffeeman wrote: post #111
edw519 wrote: post #7

If someone can’t climb out of the details, and see the bigger picture from multiple angles, they’re often wrong most of the time. This works both ways. If someone can't get more than one level below the surface and understand the details that form the whole, they’re also often wrong much of the time. Just ask any boss I've ever had.

Someone obsessed with details that only support one point of view. The previous line was important I thought. You have to understand a bit about everything. No point knowing a lot of technical details about something in a business but not understanding where you fit in that business.

I agree with what you are saying but I don't think that's what Bezos was getting at (as paraphrased, anyway).

What trait signified someone who was wrong a lot of the time? Someone obsessed with details that only support one point of view. If someone can’t climb out of the details, and see the bigger picture from multiple angles, they’re often wrong most of the time.

There are two points here: Getting lost in the details and getting stuck on a particular idea. Obviously they can reenforce each other in a bad way.

Re: Some advice from Jeff Bezos

#115

Post by reledi »

m_for_monkey wrote: post #59
callmeed wrote: post #8

Good advice but I'm curious about: "Jason Fried is the fastest white man you'll ever meet." Is Jason actually really fast and/or was he an athlete at a prior time?

Jason, I found a little bio of you that said, "Jason Fried is the fastest white man you'll ever meet. He has curly hair and a sunny disposition. He loves to travel, play hoops, and watch sunsets from his roof deck. He wishes he could break dance." Is that all true? JF: That was an old bio that someone wrote for me. I guess it's probably all true, except for the break dancing part. I really don't have any desire to do…

That whole interview was a good read, thanks.

Re: Some advice from Jeff Bezos

#116

Post by noonespecial »

Xcelerate wrote: post #106
brian_cloutier wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I only took high school physics and a Google search isn't returning anything. Could you tell me why a spinning ball weighs more than a stationary ball? Another comment seems to claim that since E=mc2, rotational energy can be converted to to mass and viola, the earth is heavier because it has more energy! But that doesn't make sense to me. Maybe frame dragging has something to do with it? Your pulling of space-time t…

"Mass" is an overloaded word. Nowadays, when physicists refer to a particle's mass, they are referring to what may more specifically be called its "rest-mass" or "invariant-mass". This is a property fundamental to the particle, much as how charge or spin is. This value never changes, and it is associated with a certain amount of energy (E=mc^2). "Relativistic-mass" is the other use of "mass", although I prefer to jus…

My physics prof used to say "physics is just the study of units". If you're getting a strange answer, you've probably misunderstood the units of measure somewhere.

Re: Some advice from Jeff Bezos

#117

Post by cynicalkane »

davesims wrote: post #50
Xcelerate wrote: post #35

I would argue that this is the defining factor in what makes someone intelligent or not. If you're always revising your ways of thinking about a problem, your probability of converging on a solution is vastly greater than someone with a narrow, one-track focus. In fact, another article on the HN homepage ( http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/streams-of-consciousness... ) elaborates on this point of trying multiple "s…

Great comment. I appreciate the principle you're working towards, and largely agree with it. But I wonder if the analogy with Physics works well as a broad metaphor for "intelligence." The gaps between Newtonian, Quantum and Relativity model physics are singular instances of a peculiar, nearly paradoxical set of apparent contradictions that of course have yet to be fully resolved. Each is correct within its own domai…

Newtonian physics aren't contradictory with relativistic physics; the former is just a special case of the latter. QM is also consistent with special relativity.

Re: Some advice from Jeff Bezos

#118

Post by seivan »

Cherian wrote: post #108
edw519 wrote: post #7

If someone can’t climb out of the details, and see the bigger picture from multiple angles, they’re often wrong most of the time. This works both ways. If someone can't get more than one level below the surface and understand the details that form the whole, they’re also often wrong much of the time. Just ask any boss I've ever had.

Couldn’t agree more. This is one of those reasons why I desist have lawyers, media gurus, MBA (just business) as bosses of “Tech” companies. They just don’t have it in them to jump in and out of situations to think through the most trivial of problems from multiple angles. They don’t know in “5 seconds” if something can be done or if it’s complicated. It’s often a rush to tackle competition or cutting out the oxygen…

I desist having them in general. Just lawyers are an evil necessity.

Re: Some advice from Jeff Bezos

#119

Post by seivan »

a5seo wrote: post #109
Cherian wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Couldn’t agree more. This is one of those reasons why I desist have lawyers, media gurus, MBA (just business) as bosses of “Tech” companies. They just don’t have it in them to jump in and out of situations to think through the most trivial of problems from multiple angles. They don’t know in “5 seconds” if something can be done or if it’s complicated. It’s often a rush to tackle competition or cutting out the oxygen…

I started as a programmer and got an MBA from an ok school (top 20). The combination is very valuable (at least to me) for exactly the reason you cite: the best decisions require wading around in the mucky details. The MBA gives you a few tools that are helpful, but mainly it's a way to brand yourself and have people give you the benefit of the doubt that you can do things other than strictly build stuff. I personall…

Oh really, what did the MBA teach you? What tools are useful in your arsenal of building a great business and product?
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