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A decade and a half ago I was at Microsoft when the interns were all invited to BillG's house for their annual picnic.

At the end of the picnic Bill comes out to answer questions. Some eager young intern raises their hand and asks, "Mr. Gates: What qualities are most important to success?"

Bill laughed a little bit and said, "Well, it helps to be smart."

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I like this anecdote, it does seem very much like Bill G. I think a lot of people answer this very generically like "be smart" or saying don't focus on career growth focus on writing good software. But operating in the corporate world is filled with many other challenges that refusing to acknowledge or discuss won't make go away. If you are a craftsman and only that, then I can see how this advice applies. Forget the game and focus on building what you like. If you want to make an impact, I want to give something more meaningful to take away. I personally think focusing on the outer wrapping of career or title is a meaningless game, but focusing on doing things that make more meaningful changes in others lives is worthwhile for some.

It seems like it would be smart to learn from others.

Sure. I wasn't knocking your effort--I just always think of this comment when people talk about "what it takes to be successful."

The reality is just that it's complicated and multifaceted.

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