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I realize that there are existential forces at work which would lead a SEO/marketing consultant to emphasize the overwhelming and crushing complexity in running

I realize that there are existential forces at work which would lead a SEO/marketing consultant to emphasize the overwhelming and crushing complexity in running a business but I've seen enough successful and completely beloved hole-in-the-wall operations, run by people you would never mistake for intelligent, that I question the fundamental truth of it. Sometimes having a great product really is enough.

patio11 14y ago
I don't think businesses are overwhelmingly or crushingly complex, because mortals successfully run them all the time. I run three, despite not being an untouchable ubermench, and by the standards of my fiancees' best friends my work style looks indistinguishable from being unemployed. I do think, though, that even low-sophistication one-man-shop businesses are substantially more complex than "focus 100% on product and everything turns out cool." Don't worry, I'm not saying this to drum up consulting business. All of my clients are waaaaay past the point where what I said here would be controversial. Many of them have CEOs who describe their own jobs as figuring out ways to protect the engineering team from the other 90%.
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tatsuke95 14y ago
"but I've seen enough successful and completely beloved hole-in-the-wall operations, run by people you would never mistake for intelligent, that I question the fundamental truth of it." You've committed a fallacy by looking only at the successes and determining it isn't difficult. The vast majority of businesses fail, and you never see them. Most of the rest never amount to anything more than someone busting their ass for the same (or less) money than they could be making punching the clock 9 to 5. That's the fundamental truth of it. But of course, we live in a world where everyone is above average, right?

patio11 14y ago

I don't think businesses are overwhelmingly or crushingly complex, because mortals successfully run them all the time. I run three, despite not being an untouchable ubermench, and by the standards of my fiancees' best friends my work style looks indistinguishable from being unemployed. I do think, though, that even low-sophistication one-man-shop businesses are substantially more complex than "focus 100% on product and everything turns out cool." Don't worry, I'm not saying this to drum up consulting business. All of my clients are waaaaay past the point where what I said here would be controversial. Many of them have CEOs who describe their own jobs as figuring out ways to protect the engineering team from the other 90%.

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tatsuke95 14y ago

"but I've seen enough successful and completely beloved hole-in-the-wall operations, run by people you would never mistake for intelligent, that I question the fundamental truth of it." You've committed a fallacy by looking only at the successes and determining it isn't difficult. The vast majority of businesses fail, and you never see them. Most of the rest never amount to anything more than someone busting their ass for the same (or less) money than they could be making punching the clock 9 to 5. That's the fundamental truth of it. But of course, we live in a world where everyone is above average, right?