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Being too ambitious is a clever form of self-sabotage

(maalvika.substack.com)
759 points alihm | 4 comments | 04 Jul 25 21:11 UTC | HN request time: 2.046s | source
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meander_water ◴[05 Jul 25 00:31 UTC] No.44469163[source]▶
> the "taste-skill discrepancy." Your taste (your ability to recognize quality) develops faster than your skill (your ability to produce it). This creates what Ira Glass famously called "the gap," but I think of it as the thing that separates creators from consumers.

This resonated quite strongly with me. It puts into words something that I've been feeling when working with AI. If you're new to something and using AI for it, it automatically boosts the floor of your taste, but not your skill. And you end up never slowing down to make mistakes and learn, because you can just do it without friction.

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theshrike79 ◴[05 Jul 25 06:30 UTC] No.44470520[source]▶
This is Rick Rubin pretty much. He has 100/100 in taste, but almost 0/100 in skill.

He can't really play an instrument, but he knows exactly what works and what doesn't and can articulate it.

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alistairSH ◴[05 Jul 25 11:42 UTC] No.44472049[source]▶
That’s an odd take for a massively successful person. In the realm of producing hip-hop, his taste and skill are at the top of the industry.

Sort of like saying Bill Belichick has a skill gap because he’s not a top NFL player. AFAIK he never played pro ball at all (and college wasn’t at a top D1 program). Bit, he’s undeniably one of the most successful coaches in the business.

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1. dgfitz ◴[05 Jul 25 12:24 UTC] No.44472310[source]▶
As an aside, beleichick was a lacrosse player as a hobby/sport/passion, not an American football player. I’m very torn at the moment if he was an incredible coach or just rode the wave or Brady talent.

I pay a lot of attention to football as a hobby (and a gambling outlet) so these next two seasons at UNC for ‘ol Bill will be really telling.

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2. BoxFour ◴[05 Jul 25 14:27 UTC] No.44473031[source]▶
> I’m very torn at the moment if he was an incredible coach or just rode the wave or Brady talent.

Honestly, it’s hard to imagine they’d have been anywhere near that successful if the answer wasn't just "both."

You see plenty of examples of great coaches stuck with lousy rosters (Parcells with the Cowboys), and also great players on poorly run teams (Patricia-era Lions). Usually when a team only has one or the other, they continually flame out early in the playoffs.

> these next two seasons at UNC for ‘ol Bill will be really telling.

I wouldn’t read too much into that. He’s 73, the game’s evolved a lot, and coaching college is a whole different thing from the NFL. It’s incredibly rare for someone to excel at both — guys like Pete Carroll being the exception that prove the rule.

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3. satyrun ◴[05 Jul 25 15:14 UTC] No.44473315[source]▶
Exactly. It is such a stupid debate when Belichick coached and molded Brady into what he became.

Everyone has always said Belichick is basically an encyclopedia of football knowledge.

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4. dgfitz ◴[06 Jul 25 00:04 UTC] No.44476563{3}[source]▶
That’s my whole point. Brady went on to win a ring in Tampa. Bill did… what?

I don’t give belicheck the credit for teaching Brady, you can’t teach that. It’s not stupid at all if you’re a fan of the sport.