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True, but when entering a new line of business, the ability to solve difficult problems is a competitive advantage that a small start-up can leverage against a
by dlo 15y ago
True, but when entering a new line of business, the ability to solve difficult problems is a competitive advantage that a small start-up can leverage against a large company.
"Use difficulty as a guide not just in selecting the overall aim of your company, but also at decision points along the way. At Viaweb one of our rules of thumb was run upstairs. Suppose you are a little, nimble guy being chased by a big, fat, bully. You open a door and find yourself in a staircase. Do you go up or down? I say up. The bully can probably run downstairs as fast as you can. Going upstairs his bulk will be more of a disadvantage. Running upstairs is hard for you but even harder for him."
Source: http://www.paulgraham.com/wealth.html http://www.paulgraham.com/wealth.html
- kamaal 15y agoThat wasn't point of the post, the point was mere doing technically difficult work and then assuming that will help you get that edge is often wrong. Or putting it the other way, you must do what it takes. The problem is few people take it as a gospel truth that if the problems you work on are difficult you've got win bigger than the guy working lesser difficult problems. This goes even further with some people who consider the only way to win big is to work with difficult problems. That is when people get it completely wrong.