jamager

Antoine de Saint-exupéry had a similar way to put it: "It's the time you wasted on your rose that makes your rose so important"

I don't know why he chose that word, but I love that choice "waste" (perdre in original French). So telling.

hose languages have barely any presence online, so there isn't remotely enough data to make a good translator... just look at Whisper accuracy for less institutional languages, for a reference

Machine Translation is great and can mean the world for minority languages, but now everyone language learning app has to have a chatbot, which, I think, it does replace human conversation when learners say that now they don't need tutors etc.

The great inside (for me) of the comprehensive input theory is the idea of trying extensive reading first: focus on the message, don't look up words, avoid interruptions, be ok not understanding everything, keep at it for a good while.

Then you can do a "second pass" with a stronger focus on language and new words to really drive it home, but the first extensive pass is important, and yes, a bit more effortless (if you find the right resources, and depending on level and language).

The original theory made more controversial claims that have been heavily criticized and they go a bit against the experience of many learners, name that you can only learn when you read and listen.

Haven't they been sued from other countries where they had released their products?

But like the authors say, there is a point to be made for education systems too. Eg. Japanese multiplication method is brilliant, I wish I had learned that way!

Funny, I think the opposite.

I have a gut feeling that hustling is a more effective strategy than being the best. In a winner-takes-all economy, (as many real economies are) you can do an excellent work and go unnoticed because someone else is already capturing all the attention.

You can argue that if that happens is because the other thing is best, but I'm not very convinced about that. Look at HN itself: if a submission manages to get early traction, it is more likely that it will raise to the front page as upvotes attract upvotes, etc.

Ofc, you can try to do both.

No further questions, your honor.

Turns out that the company sold 2 yrs later (yay!), then I did the maths, and turned out that money-wise it would still have been better more salary and less equity. I still didn't care, though. I chose that job in first place driven by other factors - money in software is always good; but a healthy workplace is not always there.

I know this won't help you much with making a decision but it is my experience nevertheless.

So (just my 2c), equity is a pretty big gamble and won't give you a massive return unless maybe you are one of the first employees of the next unicorn, which is basically impossible to predict. In the end salary (or equity) negotiations boil down to leverage. If you have it, use it.

Good luck!

The only way I can see that is true for Spain is if you count unemployed people and precarious jobs.

Regardless, my best guesses for why 40 hrs / week is still standard:

- More globalization and decreasing tariffs over the last decades means more competition.

- Companies get bigger and bigger, and big companies are inefficient: 16 hrs / week is not even enough to actually start working: check mail, RSVP meetings, report to manager, justify expenses, do paperwork and whatnot is more than that already.

It is amazing for instance how many note taking apps are cloud based, with so little justification, for something that screams local first so loudly.

You might think that Obsidian / Logseq etc are popular (and they are), but they pale in comparison with Roam, One Note, Evernote, etc. Syncing notes across devices in 2023 should NOT require a permanent copy in a cloud server, but here we are.

For the other part (over-perfectioning) really try to write a whole document before starting to review it. You can start small, eg. say to yourself "If i write for 30 without looking back or rewriting any word, I'll allow myself to make edits for 15 minutes".

I know is hard, I have a similar problem (even if not that acute). But is actually much more efficient to edit at the end, than all the time.

- Lots of reading, both extensive and intensive. Find sources of comprehensible input: sentences that you understand 60-80%, and will help you infer the rest by context. You will need lots of these. For instance twitter accounts in Korean, newspapers, etc.

- Watch shows with subs in your L1, or watch them 2 times: first time in L1, right after in L2.

- Use spaced repetition, but creating your on cards (active study vs passive study). Sentences better than words, bring context.

- Do some writing. Perhaps a journal, or something about your job / field of expertise. Notice the gaps (things you want to say but don't know how). Get it reviewed by a native.

- Have regular 1:1 sessions with a tutor / teacher, eg. on Italki.

If it is important to you, it is worth to spend a some money on it IMO.

Good luck!

I don't think I 100% stopped procrastinating, but now I almost never think about it. No thinking, no reasoning, no excuses, no strategies, no prioritization, no schedulers, no productivity apps, no deals with myself. No search for motivation in the moment where I need it.

Just show up. With or without motivation, with or without optimal circumstances. Show up over and over again, without thinking.