Show HN: Booktweets #1, “How will you measure your life?” | Hacker News Reader

Show HN: Booktweets #1, “How will you measure your life?”

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Today I decided to "launch" an idea that I had just a couple of hours ago.

The idea is simple: to summarize a book in a series of tweets; if people want to read the book, they click an affiliate link that generates money.

I have no plans for the future of this idea. But I wanted to do, to launch something today.

I picked the book I was reading, "How will you measure your life?", by Clay Christensen, famed author of "The Innovator's Dilemma".

I liked the book, despite I think it could have been written differently, and more concisely.

Let me know what you think - of the book, and the idea of course!

I like the idea, though it doesn't need to be in tweet format for me (probably easier to "follow" for people and build an audience though) and this particular summary was kinda vague. Perhaps the book is simply like that, though, and the example was a bit unfortunate or just not my thing.

Thanks for the feedback.

Twitter: I decided to use this format as the simplest way to "launch". I could do other things in the future, e.g. a blog / Medium / Substack publication. Would you have any preference?

The book, as I wrote in the first comment to this thread, is interesting but I would have written it differently and more concisely.

But I'd like to dig a bit more there: when you say "vague", what was missing from the summary? Or can you give an example of a sentence that wouldn't be too "vague"?

Also, do you like the idea of the "one sentence summary" at the beginning of the Twitter thread?

Thanks!

Medium has some well known issues, I don't know substack. A personal blog is an option, perhaps mixed with Twitter where you tweet the first summary tweet and then link to the relevant post? And have an index somewhere? That might allow people to easily follow/subscribe without the requirement to use Twitter.

Vague: it's hard to give a better example when I don't know what's actually in a given chapter, but e.g. this one doesn't really tell me much:

> 3: Happy career: two-factor theory of what makes us tick: motivators (challenging work, responsibility, growth) and hygiene (income, ego). Best way to help the world is being a great manager.

The meaning of hygiene here doesn't become clear to me really, and why is it best for the world to be a great manager? As opposed to a bad manager or as opposed to not a manager?

Another one might be:

> Ship of Theseus: kids are always your kids even if they've learn from others.

Erm, sure they remain my kids if they're mine? Can't tell what this means.

Finally, I definitely like a one-tweet summary up front (stretching the question about one-sentence summary since imo it doesn't have to be one sentence).

Hope this answered your questions somewhat :)

Thanks! Very helpful!

I agree that these examples don't provide much clarity.

Just to satisfy your curiosity:

1) Hygiene: things that we "need" to be there (e.g. I need some sort of salary or I'll starve).

2) Ship of Theseus: it remains the ship of theseus even if all its part have been eventually substituted for newer parts. Your kids: even if their "mind" is made of things and people that are not the parents, they remain your kids.

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