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Business books are entertainment, not strategic tools

(theorthagonist.substack.com)
593 points ZeroTalent | 2 comments | 09 May 25 20:51 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
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peterlk ◴[09 May 25 23:44 UTC] No.43941972[source]▶
I think there are maybe 5 business books out there. I’m not sure how exactly I’d define the 5 different business books, but I think of you read 10-15 business books you’ve pretty much read them all. After a while, they all start boiling down to the same few points with differences in narrative content. If I were to take an unconsidered stab at a few of them: hard work + luck is about the closest formula anyone has found for success if applied over long time periods; you have to be disagreeable and believe in yourself, but not so disagreeable that you can’t get along with anyone; people are important, and treating them well leads to better businesses (over long time periods); sometimes you get dealt a bad hand.
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1. calmbonsai ◴[10 May 25 00:53 UTC] No.43942363[source]▶
I would also add taking steps to "increase luck surface area". One can't control luck and luck is, unfortunately, essential, but one can increase the opportunities for luck to play its part.
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2. airstrike ◴[10 May 25 01:07 UTC] No.43942436[source]▶
one corollary is that "proximity is power". being around people who are successful increases the chances that you will be successful. easier said than done, however.