3 ms·

"Working hard" has been proven time and time again that doesn't work. Most of the success stories you heard of weren't because of hard work but because luck and

"Working hard" has been proven time and time again that doesn't work. Most of the success stories you heard of weren't because of hard work but because luck and connections. But don't worry work 16 hours a day and you will be the next bill gates in no time. bruhhahahahaha I still find it funny that there are so many people who think hard work pays off.

presentation 5y ago
IMO in the average case hard work doesn’t move you forward, but in exceptional cases it is a huge game changer. It’s probably true for most people that putting in crazy hours is pointless, but I absolutely believe that if you’re in a position to tolerate the effects and reap the benefits of those extra hours, it absolutely can be worth the pain.
EricE 5y ago
Luck? I don't believe in luck, I make luck. Same thing with connections. Want to know why connections mattered in every job I have had, including my current one? Because I worked my ass off, did more than was asked of me, volunteered to do work outside of my immediate scope of work and most importantly made a point to always be on at least one cross-organizational or team outside my immediate work unit so I could actually be noticed by others. Yeah, you aren't going to be successful solely from "working" for 16 hours a day - what you do with those work hours matters too. And you know what? It worked. The best jobs are the ones that come looking for you. Another way to stand out? Become part of the internal expert network that exists within every organization. I ended up interacting with a lot of our contracting folks and I would always go out of my way to let them know I was available for "geek speak" translation - if they ever had something technical they didn't understand to just call me. Even if it wasn't for one of my contracts. Stuff like that provides dividends that can't be expressed by some silly metric. I'm pretty introverted but luckily those kinds of conversations tend to be one on one. I find it beyond hilarious that there are so many people who think luck and "connections" are how most successful people got to where they are. Keep telling yourself that if you like and good luck with that long term. Success is not accidental and yes, good old fashioned (meaningful) hard work will still pay off.

presentation 5y ago

IMO in the average case hard work doesn’t move you forward, but in exceptional cases it is a huge game changer. It’s probably true for most people that putting in crazy hours is pointless, but I absolutely believe that if you’re in a position to tolerate the effects and reap the benefits of those extra hours, it absolutely can be worth the pain.

EricE 5y ago

Luck? I don't believe in luck, I make luck. Same thing with connections. Want to know why connections mattered in every job I have had, including my current one? Because I worked my ass off, did more than was asked of me, volunteered to do work outside of my immediate scope of work and most importantly made a point to always be on at least one cross-organizational or team outside my immediate work unit so I could actually be noticed by others. Yeah, you aren't going to be successful solely from "working" for 16 hours a day - what you do with those work hours matters too. And you know what? It worked. The best jobs are the ones that come looking for you. Another way to stand out? Become part of the internal expert network that exists within every organization. I ended up interacting with a lot of our contracting folks and I would always go out of my way to let them know I was available for "geek speak" translation - if they ever had something technical they didn't understand to just call me. Even if it wasn't for one of my contracts. Stuff like that provides dividends that can't be expressed by some silly metric. I'm pretty introverted but luckily those kinds of conversations tend to be one on one. I find it beyond hilarious that there are so many people who think luck and "connections" are how most successful people got to where they are. Keep telling yourself that if you like and good luck with that long term. Success is not accidental and yes, good old fashioned (meaningful) hard work will still pay off.