by carpdiem on 7/17/14, 7:47 AM with 36 comments
by dasil003 on 7/17/14, 12:19 PM
For instance, the context-switching cost is very true. It's better to focus on one thing at a time, and multi-tasking is endemic to our society. If you can focus on one thing for a few days with no distraction you can really accomplish mountains especially compared to the usual email/social media distraction dance that is seemingly normal for anyone with a smart phone these days.
However on the flip side, compressing learning that is intended to be absorbed over a few months into a couple weeks of sleepless nights is a surefire way to make sure your retention is absolutely squalid. We used to call this cramming, it allows you to pass an exam, but it's well-known that it doesn't lead to much in the way of long-term learning.
by visakanv on 7/17/14, 9:46 AM
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I find it odd that we seem to be taking so long as a species to develop a useful, simple and broadly agreed-upon idea about the peaks and troughs on the productivity landscape. Yes, it's better to focus than to multi-task. But it's also good to show up every day and make a little progress. You want to do the "minimum effective dose" each time.
To use his ladder analogy, climbing a quarter-rung a day gets you nowhere, but a rung a day is superior to 4 rungs in one day and then no more rungs for a week.
Aren't there more interesting things we can discuss about the nuances of productivity than "here there be dragons"? Or is this really just chest-beating bravado that we all do from time to time to make ourselves feel better about our choices, and I should get back to work?
by Argorak on 7/17/14, 9:26 AM
I am all for finding out your personal way of doing things, but don't call things bullshit just because they don't work for you.
by duncanawoods on 7/17/14, 10:59 AM
If you see each task as a large do or die task that needs sacrifice and extended concentration to complete otherwise there is no point even starting it... you don't start it.
That said, I do agree with this type of thinking and believe many other people do too which is why procrastination is such a widespread problem! My broader take is that you need gears and know when to change up/down. Sometimes you are going up hill and sometimes downhill. Sometimes you need to brake and sometimes steering is more important than speed. Ahhh car metaphores...
by 300bps on 7/17/14, 11:05 AM
I think it is important to find what works to motivate you on a personal level. Sounds like OP made a step in that direction but may be over applying the advice to other people.
by fivedogit on 7/17/14, 1:41 PM
I started a company when I was 23 and found product-market fit almost immediately. But, being young, naive and completely unexposed to "real" entrepreneurship, I tried to grow the company organically, customer by customer, market by market (in my case, TV markets) rather than raise money. I woke up every day, hit my cold call targets, and spent the rest of the time coding, dealing with other IT issues, recruiting, managing employees, bookkeeping, etc.
While I was busy gathering rinky-dink customers in one corner of the country, my competitors raised money, expanded nationwide, and completely ate my lunch.
While this may be of the "well, that sounds like a personal problem" variety, I believe the following holds true when a new "gold mine" (i.e. as yet unrecognized market opportunity) is discovered by one or more companies:
"Even if you're growing, if you're not growing like crazy, you're falling behind, comparatively."
For example, let's say there's a company competing with Uber that's growing by 2x per year. In a vacuum, that's great, right? But not in reality. Uber is growing at like 100x per year and will eventually destroy that company.
So yes, I completely agree with OP, a least in terms of startups.
by jjgreen on 7/17/14, 9:18 AM
by goldenkey on 7/17/14, 11:59 AM
by deathhand on 7/17/14, 12:07 PM
Next week rolls around....
No OP was wrong! {Other conventional wisdom} is better than {one conventional wisdom} because of their personal story!
by Tyrannosaurs on 7/17/14, 11:08 AM
In a similar vein I suspect one of the key behaviors driving productivity might be not spending much time writing about productivity on the internet.
Irony of posting this understood obv, but then I make no claims to productivity, quite the opposite.
by sheepmullet on 7/17/14, 12:32 PM
To make good progress both methods need to be used together.
Look at dieting. It is very easy and painless to eat 150-200 calories below maintenance per day (as an average sized man). You just eat a little bit less. E.g. If you normally get a large meal at McDonalds then get a medium instead. But over a year that adds up to 15 odd pounds of fat!
Or you can go on a hardcore diet and lose 3-4 pounds a week! If you are smart you will do it for 3-4 weeks and then taper off onto the slow and steady method for the rest of the year.
The problem is people see a huge amount of progress in those 3-4 weeks and think "If it works for 4 weeks I'll keep it up until I have a 6-pack". Then they crash and put it all back on.
by 5partan on 7/17/14, 10:00 AM
by am185 on 7/17/14, 12:58 PM
by joshdance on 7/17/14, 6:34 PM
by kenkam on 7/17/14, 12:09 PM
by tlarkworthy on 7/17/14, 11:53 AM
by mykhal on 7/17/14, 11:45 AM