41 Things I've Learned By 40
thomsinger.blogspot.com
thomsinger.blogspot.com
For the HN startup community I would draw attention to:
39. Nothing produces results as much as taking action.
37. People do business with people they know and like.
25. You are a "brand". No matter what you do it effects your reputation.
19. If you are not knowledgeable about wine...Don't fake it.
16. Find a mentor.
15. Be a mentor.
18. Be-friend your competitors.
13. You do not have to be smart to be successful. Tenacity trumps intelligence.
10. Writing a book is hard work. Promoting a book is harder work.
"In most domains, talent is overrated compared to determination--partly because it makes a better story, partly because it gives onlookers an excuse for being lazy, and partly because after a while determination starts to look like talent."
It was painful because it was part of an, I am dumping you speech from a woman that I loved and who believed that I was always going to be a pipe dreaming looser. She never believed in any of my ventures and thought that I was an idiot who just did not get that there where crappy people out there.
No matter how hard I tried I could never convince her that it was a philosophical view of the world and that while I knew there where negative people, I had to be above it or would be consumed by it. Part of being above it is assuming people are good natured until they prove you wrong. I have been blessed with so much opportunity by believe that there where people like me.
The best advice I was ever given was right after this event by my grandfather in which he told me, never compromise your values and never get jaded, once you do, you start to repel good people and close the door on opportunity.