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Comment by Trufa | Hacker News Reader

Congrats on this, loved the quote.

>> The best startup book is one you never open because you're too busy marketing and building your product

While that makes for a great anecdote, there are action-oriented people should not be heeding that advice. An appropriate balance between rational ignorance and analysis paralysis must be struck. Otherwise, it's left to others to deal with your predisposition towards an extreme.

It can also be taken as you will read what you need to when you need to be solving it - instead of reading in advance.

Lean learning. Just-in-time education.

Agile learning.

Lazy learning. Information is getting as it needed

Sharing progress with mentor(s) who can point to resources at the right time makes this easier.

Great idea.

Well yes, no quote applies perfectly for all situations, but IMHO there so much time being wasted on getting to know all the theoretical intricacies of startups without getting anything out there that this quote is great advice for many.

Not with startups, but I'll admit to this fault for myself with technical content. I spent (I won't say wasted, I enjoyed it) a lot of time learning more theoretical areas of CS and software engineering without a need to apply it. The breadth of knowledge has proven useful in general, but often long after the reading and required some effort to relearn and apply properly. I would've been better off with more of a survey of the same topics (which could've meant surveying more topics in the same span) and then learning the details when I needed it.

This "I'm so busy hustling I don't have time to read no books" sort of machismo has become quite fashionable.

I believe it's a mistake because there's a balance.

No, you don't want to become the ineffectual intellectual, constantly learning but never doing. It definitely is easy to see books and learning as progress when you should to be out on the sharp end.

But there are techniques you might use and mistakes you might not make if you invest into learning about and from written material. It seems like a celebration of ignorance to act otherwise.

I think it's self-relevant advice. If your tendencies are to constantly read about launching your business - that may get in the way of actually going in and doing it.

This advice isn't relevant to those who have the opposite problem - but for those who use learning as a procrastination device, it can be just the right advice to put you into the happy medium

> you don't want to become the ineffectual intellectual, constantly learning but never doing

Yes I do. Can't afford it unfortunately, but an ineffectual gentleman scientist and man of letters sounds like the perfect life to me.

Quote along the same lines from _why that I really like: "When you don't create things, you become defined by your tastes rather than ability."

Double True, execution and hustle is the key. Don't get caught up in all the entre-porn (Amy Hoy). Learn what you need from books, podcasts and mentors. Then go for it.

You'll know you're ready because when you read a book or listen to a podcast it will all be things you've heard before.

Granted every book/podcast usually has a unique gem but after a while, you're ready.

Plus, "It's NOT rocket surgery." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CDXJ6bMkMY (DHH Startup School, still my favorite talk)

Interesting, No mention about the cofounder, Pyanka Sen Sharma. I saw her at the YC female founder conference on 2015(?) She seemed to be doing business development of the company.

Because she wasn't really a co-founder and it only seemed like she was doing anything for WakaTime. She´s very good at making people believe that when she´s only really self-promoting herself. It does not surprise me at all that she was at the female founder conference. Read this: https://news.ycombinator.com/reply?id=15617309&goto=item%3Fi...

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