4 ms·

I really enjoyed it too. My main takeaways: 1. Use systems, not goals. A system lets you feel good every time you follow it, whereas a goal only makes you feel

I really enjoyed it too. My main takeaways: 1. Use systems, not goals. A system lets you feel good every time you follow it, whereas a goal only makes you feel good when you reach it 2. Combination of skills. If you can be good (say top 20%) in more than one domain, then that combination of skills can be enough to make you very sought after. 3. What all adults should know, like public speaking, psychology, business writing, accounting, design, and conversations. 4. Learning from failures. This is a theme throughout the book. Each failure can teach you something. If you attempt something and fail, you at least gained experience. This experience will be useful for your next project.

coopes 8y ago
Pretty convincing reply. I'm placing an order for the book right now
gvand 8y ago
> Use systems, not goals. This, it could seem something that could have limited effect in real life but it's not. Small daily improvements compound.
ZoomZoomZoom 8y ago
Regarding #2: Does the book go into any specifics on how exactly you're going to be sought after or at least how to look for the people who needs generalists? I consider myself a generalist but I never ever see much interest for hiring someone like me. There's always ask for a person who's a focused pro in some niche area AND then possesses a cloud of tangential skills, though.
- henrik_w 8y ago
  I think the idea is that you are somewhat a specialist in 2 areas (but not a worldclass specialist). As I recall, that advice does not apply to being a generalist.
  - ZoomZoomZoom 8y ago
    This looks more close to reality, but parent said "20%", which doesn't look good enough.
    - ThomPete 8y ago
      Top 20% is definitely good enough, the value having removed the issue with transcendence between two normally unrelated fields will improve your advantage by many factors. Of course, not everything goes.
- GarrisonPrime 8y ago
  The idea isn't about being a generalist, but rather being valuable because you're like getting two okay guys or gals in one package. Adams' own example is how he's by no means a highly talented artist nor is he a top comedian, but the combination of being halfway decent with a pen and having a better than average sense of humor suddenly puts a person into a much smaller group on the Venn diagram. And adding in just one more thing - his experience in the corporate business world, allowing him to create strips a lot of people could relate to - was enough to catapult Dilbert into a global phenomenon. There are tons of moderately funny people in the world. And many okay line artists. And it's not hard to find someone with experience working in a corporate office. But the number of people who meet all three criteria is incredibly tiny. Heck, just having two of the three is quite rare. The point being, it's far easier to become a big success by being above average in a few things, than it would be to try to be one of the best in a single area. Finding a way to combine yout skills to make that success is the key, of course. And may require learning new skills or improving areas in which you're merely average. One of the big themes of the book is how you shouldn't worry too much about trying new things and failing. For one, humans are terrible at anticipating what sort of work we would truly enjoy or be good at, and the only reliable way to find a true match is to try a lot of things and keep redirecting yourself. And for another thing, any skills you learn along the way only increase the odds of eventually finding a combination of skills that can lead to great success. One thing many people reading the book overlook, I think, is that being mediocre in a lot of skills isn't the point. It can't hurt, of course, but the idea is to be above average in a combination of skills that can be utilized together in an interesting way. Recognizing that combination is more likely to be a process of trial and error rather than high minded planning.
- zawerf 8y ago
  I have not read his book but have seen that particular point float around from links to his blog: https://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/07/career-advice.html https://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/07/car... > Everyone has at least a few areas in which they could be in the top 25% with some effort. In my case, I can draw better than most people, but I’m hardly an artist. And I’m not any funnier than the average standup comedian who never makes it big, but I’m funnier than most people. The magic is that few people can draw well and write jokes. It’s the combination of the two that makes what I do so rare. And when you add in my business background, suddenly I had a topic that few cartoonists could hope to understand without living it.

coopes 8y ago

Pretty convincing reply. I'm placing an order for the book right now

gvand 8y ago

> Use systems, not goals. This, it could seem something that could have limited effect in real life but it's not. Small daily improvements compound.

ZoomZoomZoom 8y ago

Regarding #2: Does the book go into any specifics on how exactly you're going to be sought after or at least how to look for the people who needs generalists? I consider myself a generalist but I never ever see much interest for hiring someone like me. There's always ask for a person who's a focused pro in some niche area AND then possesses a cloud of tangential skills, though.

henrik_w 8y ago
I think the idea is that you are somewhat a specialist in 2 areas (but not a worldclass specialist). As I recall, that advice does not apply to being a generalist.
- ZoomZoomZoom 8y ago
  This looks more close to reality, but parent said "20%", which doesn't look good enough.
  - ThomPete 8y ago
    Top 20% is definitely good enough, the value having removed the issue with transcendence between two normally unrelated fields will improve your advantage by many factors. Of course, not everything goes.
GarrisonPrime 8y ago
The idea isn't about being a generalist, but rather being valuable because you're like getting two okay guys or gals in one package. Adams' own example is how he's by no means a highly talented artist nor is he a top comedian, but the combination of being halfway decent with a pen and having a better than average sense of humor suddenly puts a person into a much smaller group on the Venn diagram. And adding in just one more thing - his experience in the corporate business world, allowing him to create strips a lot of people could relate to - was enough to catapult Dilbert into a global phenomenon. There are tons of moderately funny people in the world. And many okay line artists. And it's not hard to find someone with experience working in a corporate office. But the number of people who meet all three criteria is incredibly tiny. Heck, just having two of the three is quite rare. The point being, it's far easier to become a big success by being above average in a few things, than it would be to try to be one of the best in a single area. Finding a way to combine yout skills to make that success is the key, of course. And may require learning new skills or improving areas in which you're merely average. One of the big themes of the book is how you shouldn't worry too much about trying new things and failing. For one, humans are terrible at anticipating what sort of work we would truly enjoy or be good at, and the only reliable way to find a true match is to try a lot of things and keep redirecting yourself. And for another thing, any skills you learn along the way only increase the odds of eventually finding a combination of skills that can lead to great success. One thing many people reading the book overlook, I think, is that being mediocre in a lot of skills isn't the point. It can't hurt, of course, but the idea is to be above average in a combination of skills that can be utilized together in an interesting way. Recognizing that combination is more likely to be a process of trial and error rather than high minded planning.
zawerf 8y ago
I have not read his book but have seen that particular point float around from links to his blog: https://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/07/career-advice.html https://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/07/car... > Everyone has at least a few areas in which they could be in the top 25% with some effort. In my case, I can draw better than most people, but I’m hardly an artist. And I’m not any funnier than the average standup comedian who never makes it big, but I’m funnier than most people. The magic is that few people can draw well and write jokes. It’s the combination of the two that makes what I do so rare. And when you add in my business background, suddenly I had a topic that few cartoonists could hope to understand without living it.