> Interesting; my strategy has been almost the polar opposite of his ('learn widely', not 'deeply'), and it served me well so far. This whole kind of advice is

> Interesting; my strategy has been almost the polar opposite of his ('learn widely', not 'deeply'), and it served me well so far. This whole kind of advice is not very useful in practise. Copying a recipe for success from a person that is wildly different in personality than you will not lead to the same outcomes. If you've read Masters of Doom, it is evident that Carmack is not neuro-typical. Few people have the ability to concentrate like him. There is no point trying to become like him, this will only make you miserable. Don't fall for post-hoc rationalisation: he naturally gravitated towards it and became successful. 200 years ago he might have been a scholarly monk, or a watchmaker tinkering. You have to choose your own path. Doesn't mean you cannot learn from the mistakes of others, but this will probably be about how and less about what.