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Comment by rpkoven | Hacker News Reader

"Startup graveyards are full of visionaries without expertise or the proper skills to execute, for no other reason then ideas are not self executing, but are rather made into being by intense engagement by skilled operators."

As an engineer who gets approached to build other people's ideas regularly, I find this trait to be true.

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It also strongly applies to aspiring game designers. What many young people don't understand is having an idea doesn't make you special. The devil is usually in the details - execution is harder. Furthermore, learning a useful game development skill gives you a better understanding of games. Aside from brilliantly simple ideas, it usually takes work to convince someone to your idea.

I had a friend that tried to take advantage of me that way. Last time I heard he worked as a software tester at a clothing company, but he had made attempts at managing people. To a certain degree, I used to be like that, except I never explicitly tried managing people, only posted ideas on forums. These days I'm a determined programmer. If you're one of those people who love posting on "Ideas" subforums, I have sympathy for you, but programmers, animators, sound designers etc also have ideas, and can make more things happen.

I don't think Tim Ferriss is the issue, nor is the 4 Hour Work Week. I think Tim Ferris chose the title for marketing purposes. I do however, agree that a lot of his followers are looking for too many shortcuts.

>> a lot of his followers are looking for too many shortcuts.

In the old days, people devoted their careers to a company and companies looked out for people. Continuous layoff cycles were rare and long-timers earned pensions. These days there are layoffs in good times and bad. Sometimes layoffs hit entire divisions and even top rated people are let go.

Why the heck would i trust some traditional system and not try to find shortcuts?

In the old days, people devoted their careers to a company and companies looked out for people.

Really? I've been hearing that lament regularly for the last 35 years.

Yes. IDK in the US, but it was common in Europe until the 80s-90s or so.

That was the impression here too, but I think the truth has been shrouded in nostalgia. I think the truth is that it was just a large growth period (reconstruction, expansion, and population boom after Wii), and there was a lot of demand for workers. When demand for workers is high, and work is prevalent, workers get a really good deal. It was good until the economy changed, but that's why romantacizing it isn't worthwhile. The companies weren't any better, they were just behaving in their own self interest.

"...nor is the 4 Hour Work Week. I think Tim Ferris chose the title for marketing purposes."

He tells this explicitly at the beginning of the book. He tried several names using dummy adverts to gauge click through rates and chose what generated most.

I think the book is honest and comes clean on it's intended goal. It's written in the classic marketing buff style of TV shops worldwide. If one takes it seriously in all of it's claims then that's not really the authors problem.

I agree the followers and not the source is the problem.

Who else was he going to sell to with marketing like that?

It was intentional as you note. Calling it the 25 hour work week, wouldn't have sold very well, and would have attracted less of the shortcut crowd. He deserves appropriate criticism for the pandering, intentionally seeking to sell to that audience, with a fraudulent setup premise; the shortcut followers are his created monster.

Ah yes, the old "I have a great idea, and if you do all the work, I'll be rich!" pitch.

Hm. Yea. How about you just pay me?

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