3 ms·

The article rings true but it also glosses over the downside risks of brand building and making yourself a known figure generally. This was mostly upside in the

• toss1 4y ago
  Indeed! While the article's general principle is good (that it is possible to increase your luck), all the remedies are not necessarily good. As you point out, a large brand can also increase the opportunity for bad luck, such as an unpredictable negative social media mob reaction. The article's items #2 and #3 (hard work and extensive knowledge) create greater opportunities for luck by putting you in a position to find a 'lucky break' or to recognize a new insight that others miss in the same data because you know more. Yet the author focuses all of the steps on item #4, "attracting luck", and focuses on basically marketing yourself. This can indeed bring great benefits, but it fails to recognize the opportunity costs, and potential bad timing. I'd say that there's a time to be digging deeper on #2 & #3, hard work, increasing knowledge, and making discoveries or producing innovations, and then a time to focus on marketing. It seems that focusing too early on #4 can both impair the progress on #2 & #3 at the wrong time, and potentially establish a widespread reputation too soon, as a lightweight. Might be better to come on the scene as a heavy hitter, and become known that way, rather than try to overcome premature first impressions.