Chasing other people's ace cards
Most startup advice is neither good, nor bad, nor neutral. The following passage from Alicia Juarrero's Dynamics in Action helps explain why:
The researchers studied the way two infants, Hannah and Gabriel, learned to reach for objects.
The infants started out with very different inherent dynamics. Gabriel tended to flail wildly and repetitively; Hannah, on the other hand, was less active, watching and assessing the situation carefully before moving.
Because their innate dynamics were different, Gabriel and Hannah in fact faced different problems calling for different solutions. Although both children reached successfully within a few weeks of each other (thereby, from an observer's perspective, apparently conforming to a Piaget-like unfolding of pre-established developmental stages), in fact each infant generated an individual solution to the task at hand.
Let's do a thought experiment. Imagine that both of the infants from the excerpt above returned home afterwards to blog about the experience of learning to reach for objects. Imagine that Hannah wrote a post titled "How to reach for an object" and that Gabriel also wrote a post with that title. (I know this is a lot to imagine. Just humor me.)
Would their posts have contained the same step-by-step instructions? Nope. Gabriel's instructions might have even contradicted Hannah's instructions. After all, Gabriel had a habit of flailing wildly, so his instructions might reasonably have begun with: "First, calm yourself down and stop swinging your arms." Whereas the more passive Hannah might have begun with: "First, rile yourself up and start swinging your arms." Yet neither of their posts would have been "wrong."
This is what startup advice is like. Ditto advice on productivity, health, sports, finance, and so on.
Society is a pack of cards with multiple suits, and there's an ace in each suit. Before you go chasing after somebody else's ace card, check if they belong to the same suit as you.
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Very good take.
I stopped listening to advice as much. I focus my thinking and learning on strictly current bottlenecks and how I already think I want to solve them.
This helps me take action faster.
100% dialed in.
Ask 12 fellow founders their advice on a problem, you'll get 12 different answers.
The asking founder needs to synthesize all the feedback into an even better thought out course of action (and share the path w/ the 12 founders, so they know they were a part of the new course of action)
Great insight! I think the key in startup land is having strong filters for advice and the ability to synthesize key learnings into pivots when necessary.
wow on point, beautifully put...at the end, it is all about which kid you are and if it aligns with you. In a lot of things I have read on branding/marketing, I absolutely don't agree and the things I believe in and have experience with have worked for me ....which seen from the expert blogger's view is completely wrong as I'm doing the opposite to the norm.
Startup advice, like individual dynamics, is unique. Just as two infants had distinct solutions, each situation requires tailored approaches. It's about finding your ace in the right suit. 🃏🤝
I've fallen into the trap of being too memetic with advice. I think the goal should be to extract themes from similar pieces of advice so that they are broadly applicable. So – apply healthy skepticism anytime someone gives you advice, but look to pattern match and identify the underlying principles. And don't perpetuate the wrong motions by suggesting others should follow your advice 1:1.
Very true. I was at the Berlin IndieHackers meetup on Monday, and one of the other attendees tried to tell me I was building my business incorrectly. He wanted me to do it exactly like he does. The reality is: a lot of approaches work. I can see why he gave me this advice. For a lot of people and in a lot of situations, his advice is good. It doesn't mean I need to follow it, and it doesn't mean my approach is bad (nor that it is better than his). Different approaches for different situations and different people.
I get what you are saying, but we can always learn from others' experiences. Why take the hard road when others have gone before you and can help get you there faster?
It's worth saying that feedback is often unwelcome unless it's asked for. Instead true collaboration, mentorship and coaching are better ways to gain insight and move forward.
Great insight!
If there is a way to be successful or build a business, everybody will already be a successful person.
A lot of things don't have formula but most of it is just about people experience. When we read or learn it, we should keep in mind that it just a guide and what others have done.
From what you learn you might need understand it and see how to apply in your situation.