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My question is this: how do you figure out which assets to create?

akgerber 17y ago
I have picked it works like so: 1. Is there something that annoys you, or a crazy idea that comes into your head? 2. Actually do something about it, unlike all the people out there who don't.
gilesbowkett235 17y ago
it's only a matter of time before this stops entertaining me so I'm just going to answer this question as completely and totally as I can (before guys like KirinDave start calling me names, etc.). there is in fact RESEARCH about this. being somebody who really really really wanted to make music for a living, and utterly failed, I went and read as much research as I possibly could. the two most relevant things you should read to fully understand this question are an article in the New York Times on cumulative advantage - google "NYT Timberlake cumulative advantage" - and "The Winner-Take-All Society", an economics book which is a few years old now. the short answer is: create lots of stuff, at high standards of quality, because how specific assets become popular is very near random. you absolutely cannot predict which assets become popular - not even if you have a track record of huge hits. the economics and social networking elements are the same whether you're talking companies, code, movies, or music. you cannot predict hits. Tom Cruise can't say for sure, DHH can't say for sure, no matter who you are or how at the top of your game you are, it is functionally random. however, having lots of fans makes it much, much more probable, and the best way to get fans is by giving them stuff which is good. so create a lot of assets, get them to as many people as possible, and target a nice high standard of quality. and NEVER be too attached to the success or failure of any particular asset - there's just too much randomness involved for it to be even remotely logical to be taking it personally.

I have picked it works like so: 1. Is there something that annoys you, or a crazy idea that comes into your head? 2. Actually do something about it, unlike all the people out there who don't.

gilesbowkett235 17y ago

it's only a matter of time before this stops entertaining me so I'm just going to answer this question as completely and totally as I can (before guys like KirinDave start calling me names, etc.). there is in fact RESEARCH about this. being somebody who really really really wanted to make music for a living, and utterly failed, I went and read as much research as I possibly could. the two most relevant things you should read to fully understand this question are an article in the New York Times on cumulative advantage - google "NYT Timberlake cumulative advantage" - and "The Winner-Take-All Society", an economics book which is a few years old now. the short answer is: create lots of stuff, at high standards of quality, because how specific assets become popular is very near random. you absolutely cannot predict which assets become popular - not even if you have a track record of huge hits. the economics and social networking elements are the same whether you're talking companies, code, movies, or music. you cannot predict hits. Tom Cruise can't say for sure, DHH can't say for sure, no matter who you are or how at the top of your game you are, it is functionally random. however, having lots of fans makes it much, much more probable, and the best way to get fans is by giving them stuff which is good. so create a lot of assets, get them to as many people as possible, and target a nice high standard of quality. and NEVER be too attached to the success or failure of any particular asset - there's just too much randomness involved for it to be even remotely logical to be taking it personally.