An incredibly great post. Thank you for sharing. I have always wanted to take risk to found a startup, but since I am in Myanmar, I will need to claw my way up for a while to build up safety nets before I can take big risks. It is a great reminder that I cannot lose myself in a comfortable & stable career/lifestyle. Focusing too much on short term gains will blind me for long term achievement. But the risk is real especially for people in developing country so I will need to proceed carefully.
How to Be Successful
231–240 of 326 posts
Re: How to Be Successful
#232Earlier quoted context omitted.
Re-reading this made me notice the overlap between the two posts. Most of the suggestions across both posts fall into a few common themes. I find having a shorter list of "keys to success" helps me keep them top of mind day to day. I see four main themes here across both posts: 1. Be internally driven. Gain energy by working on things you are excited about. Think independently. Don't get pushed around. Don't default…
These lists are always the same and never say anything new. Work hard, have goals, be focused, etc etc. No fucking shit. Everyone has heard this stuff X1000. The problem is, you can read the same shit again and again, but if you're not that way from the beginning, reading the same crap isn't suddenly going to change you. Most people who are mega driven are that way because of their birth parents and childhood. If you…
Either that or the people that are actually successful in life are doing something that the people here can't fathom. :)
Re: How to Be Successful
#233A more accurate title for this is "How to Be Financially Successful". I'd love for Sam to write a post called "How to Be a Successful Human" or "How to Live a Successful Life". This more important topic has little-to-nothing to do with financial success.
>> "How to Live a Successful Life" This advice need not come from a rich person. The answer is to be surrounded with deep and valuable human relationships.
Yes! I'd say there is a little more to the "answer", but yes!
Re: How to Be Successful
#234A more accurate title for this is "How to Be Financially Successful". I'd love for Sam to write a post called "How to Be a Successful Human" or "How to Live a Successful Life". This more important topic has little-to-nothing to do with financial success.
Financial success can at least be measured. Being a successful human, on the other hand? Is it measured by one’s own satisfaction with life? By one’s impact on the society? By the number of offspring one produces? It’s all very confusing.
I recently discovered, which was difficult as an atheist, a huge body of work on this, under the topics "spirituality" and "philosophy". It makes so much sense now, but we've lost touch with it in our modern society. The idea of "what makes a successful human life" has been the hottest topic of written literature for all of history, it's just that we've lost a little touch it.
Re: How to Be Successful
#23590% of the advice here is solid, and if you are certain that high-risk high-reward businesses are what you are built for, and you have a safety net, then by all means join sama and the crew.
But there are other good ways to be an outlier success than just being a businessperson. I was reminded of Hamming's "You and Your Research" which offered similar advice for academics. (Ironically, a copy is also hosted by paulg. http://www.paulgraham.com/hamming.html)
There are many points of similarity, so many that I start to wonder if sama was intentionally recasting its advice for businesspeople.
- be an independent thinker
- be courageous
- work is like compound interest, you need both hard work and talent
- work on small things that could grow to be big things and where you have some angle of attack
- have a network of people.
- be connected to what your colleagues do, but not a trend-seeker
- be emotionally committed
- be a good salesperson
- know your strengths and weaknesses
====
But there are some points of difference, like
- you'll do better work in spartan surroundings
- tolerate ambiguity. Believe in your idea enough to go forward, doubt it enough to consider alternatives
- make your work something that can lift others up to do more than you did
- Use the resources of the organization, don't fight it
- Don't be too rebellious or outwardly nonconformist
Re: How to Be Successful
#236What sort of careers can be considered "compounding" in the way Altman describes it?
Economist? Engineer? Lawyer? Doctor? Dentist?
I'm an economist, and i've always wondered if people with 2 years of experience can be better than those with 20+ years - if they're smart enough.
Re: How to Be Successful
#237[deleted]
Re: How to Be Successful
#238What sort of careers can be considered "compounding" in the way Altman describes it? Economist? Engineer? Lawyer? Doctor? Dentist? I'm an economist, and i've always wondered if people with 2 years of experience can be better than those with 20+ years - if they're smart enough.
I might be wrong (too lazy to check; on mobile), but I don’t think he is talking about compounding careers per se, but rather advices to look for opportunities that compound.
Re: How to Be Successful
#239A more accurate title for this is "How to Be Financially Successful". I'd love for Sam to write a post called "How to Be a Successful Human" or "How to Live a Successful Life". This more important topic has little-to-nothing to do with financial success.
>> "How to Live a Successful Life" This advice need not come from a rich person. The answer is to be surrounded with deep and valuable human relationships.
Being friendless and rich is better than being friendless and broke.
Re: How to Be Successful
#240Earlier quoted context omitted.
Re-reading this made me notice the overlap between the two posts. Most of the suggestions across both posts fall into a few common themes. I find having a shorter list of "keys to success" helps me keep them top of mind day to day. I see four main themes here across both posts: 1. Be internally driven. Gain energy by working on things you are excited about. Think independently. Don't get pushed around. Don't default…
These lists are always the same and never say anything new. Work hard, have goals, be focused, etc etc. No fucking shit. Everyone has heard this stuff X1000. The problem is, you can read the same shit again and again, but if you're not that way from the beginning, reading the same crap isn't suddenly going to change you. Most people who are mega driven are that way because of their birth parents and childhood. If you…
For sure, it's definitely harder - though many still succeed despite the cards stacked against them.
Do you have any alternatives or are you just venting your frustration?