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Comment by caseyy | Hacker News Reader

> can't deny the success

I don’t disagree that there is some value in this knowledge. But success has different definitions.

I do not consider Jimmy successful. In relation to classical virtues, he hasn’t truly lived up to many. That would be success to me.

He is popular and his business is rich. Some people consider that success, but not all. Not even in business and start-up circles.

Edit: some people below (quite remarkably) miss the point despite me having spelled it out — “success has different definitions”. Somehow they have convinced themselves I said that Jimmy has my definition of success, or that he is not successful by his own definition. I think everyone who wants to understand what I am saying does. If not, I repeat one more time — there is more than one way to measure success. Which is correct or not correct — I do not prescribe. That is all :)

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In this profile from 2022 Jimmy said his goal was to become the number one YouTube channel: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/mrbeas...

According to this Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-subscribed_YouTub... he finally achieved that goal on June 2, 2024.

So definitely successful by his own chosen metric.

> I do not consider Jimmy successful. In relation to classical virtues, he hasn’t truly lived up to many. That would be success to me.

He was a tiny YouTuber 6 years ago with under a million subscribers, and has become the biggest despite tens of thousands of competitors who were better placed than him. The difference between just a few short years ago and now is what impresses me and makes me consider him a success, he has gone from a one man show counting numbers in his room to a million to the biggest on the platform with many other ventures.

Cutthroat competition but he cracked the formula. I think that’s success

> But success has different definitions.

Yes, except doesn’t Mr. Beast define the kind of success he’s aiming for in the PDF?

> I do not consider Jimmy successful.

By the definition he set for success or the one you made up?

Probably by more common definitions held by people OP respects...

For example, millions of people would not call him a success because he doesn't have a family with children (although Mr beast has definitely implied he wants one in the future).

Many millions more would say that he's not a success because he doesn't do anything that's a net positive for society, instead he's mostly a drain on people's time and mental capacity.

Uh, ok?

If you're going to debate why this guy is/is not a success we can all make up our own little definitions and go on all day.

But he defined his goals in this PDF and it seems like he's reaching/making progress towards those goals.

People DO make up their definitions, and put together they create a communities standards of success and then eventually a societies.

Would you say a man that spends 40 years working 60 hours a week, alienating all friends and neighbors til he has no friends or anyone that respects him, no kids, no partner, and a group on ex employees that hate him for squeezing them to work under market value? Is he a success just because he accumulated 3x the capital he set out to when he started his business at 20 years old? Then dies suddenly alone, only for everyone that met him to chuckle and move on with their day?

Would that be a success by most people's standards? Does it even matter if it's a success by one person's standards? Are the school shooters a success because they accomplish their goals before death?

> Would you say a man that spends 40 years working 60 hours a week, alienating all friends and neighbors til he has no friends or anyone that respects him, no kids, no partner, and a group on ex employees that hate him for squeezing them to work under market value?

If you accept a job that’s your market value. If you think you’re worth more, get a higher paying job. Or don’t and pretend that you were squeezed into working for under market value.

The guy employed people for 40 years. Not the worst thing in the world.

Not everybody values the same stuff. Some people like what other people call work. Some people don’t need friends.

> Is he a success just because he accumulated 3x the capital he set out to when he started his business at 20 years old?

If at 20 years old he said his goal was to accumulate 3x the capital before he dies, then I couldn’t argue that by his definition of success, he succeeded.

Hopefully he doesn’t care if I think he’s a success.

> Then dies suddenly alone

We all die suddenly and alone. We’re alive and then we’re dead. Nobody comes with us.

> Would that be a success by most people's standards?

Who cares what most people think?

If no one cared what other people thought, why are we even talking on here.

Also, how would you apply your logic to the school shooter question?

> If no one cared what other people thought, why are we even talking on here.

We hate ourselves and have nothing better to do?

> Also, how would you apply your logic to the school shooter question?

I wouldn’t pat yourself on the back quite so hard for finding this attempt at a clever gotcha. I thought by ignoring it you’d get the message that it wasn’t as good as you thought it was.

But nevertheless, I would say that they were successful in reaching their goals but that I find their goals and actions abhorrent. I don’t feel the need to add that final qualification to MrBeast’s goals and actions.

It wasn't a clever gotcha, and I wasn't patting myself on the back.

I just found it odd that you went through and systematically addressed every section of my post, but that one.

It was taking what in my opinion is a lame point of view, to an extreme, in hopes of helping someone see that it fails at the extremes... Thus maybe you'll think about it and agree with me that in reality someone's own goals and views of themselves don't matter that much because as a whole we as a society have views on what makes a life worth living and what adds value to society.

And yes I think MrBeast systemizing making mindless brain numbing stupid videos for teenagers and kids to be pretty bad for society. I don't care that be produces revenue doing so.

> as a whole we as a society have views on what makes a life worth living and what adds value to society

Oh, yeah I get what you’re saying now. Give in to peer pressure!

.... I didn't say that.

Just don't be naive and think that societal standards don't exist. And also, possibly give some thought as to why they exist so that you don't go down insane spirals and waste your life only to later understand that the collective had a point.

Yeah I agree that it’s better to live your life how other people want you to live it vs. charting your own path.

No argument here.

You're really dense. I'm not saying you should live your life how others want you to live it.

I'm saying you should examine why people set the standards they do and check if you agree with those values.

If you want to say "hell be with it, I'll be scum til I die because it makes me feel good" then more power to you. But don't go around saying you're successful. You're a rebel and a loser by most people's standards. Not by all. Even school shooters are respected by SOME for their bravery and determination.

Seems like a version of not counting points and giving all the kids a gold medal. It's pink and fluffy.

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