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← Work smarter, not harder is bad advice, because the only way to find…
17 connected korrents · 15 moments from 14 May 1998 to 21 Sept 2026.
Everything filed under ambition
ambition
Everything filed under startups
startups
Everything filed under agency
agency
Everything filed under motivation
motivation
Everything filed under design
design
Everything filed under happiness
happiness
Everything filed under scaling laws
scaling laws
Everything filed under education
education Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Read this korrent: Work smarter, not harder is bad advice, because the only way to find out what smart looks like is to work very hard first. Work smarter, not harder is bad advice, because the only way to find out what smart looks like is to work very hard first. Last stated 2 years ago
22 Mar 2025
TH
ThePrimeagen — holds since 2025-03-22 — tap for who they are
Same subject: “Work on what you know” is the worst advice there is: knowledge can be acquired, but what you love cannot be changed. — tap to centre the map on it “Work on what you know” is the worst advice there is: knowledge can be acquired, but what you love cannot be changed. Last stated 3 months ago
28 Jul 2026
BS
Blake Scholl — holds since 2026-07-28 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Smart people are unhappy because they are smart, not smart because they are unhappy, and they can be both happy and smart with more work. — tap to centre the map on it Smart people are unhappy because they are smart, not smart because they are unhappy, and they can be both happy and smart with more work. Last stated 6 years ago
12 Mar 2021
NR
Naval Ravikant — holds since 2021-03-12 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Bigger is smarter, always: bringing your special domain knowledge to the model is the wrong side of the bitter lesson. — tap to centre the map on it Bigger is smarter, always: bringing your special domain knowledge to the model is the wrong side of the bitter lesson. Last stated 7 months ago
11 Mar 2026
SY
Steve Yegge — holds since 2026-03-11 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Struggling with a hard problem before being shown the answer is not always the best way to learn; a hint or a worked example can beat floundering. — tap to centre the map on it Struggling with a hard problem before being shown the answer is not always the best way to learn; a hint or a worked example can beat floundering. Last stated 3 months ago
22 Jul 2026
SY
Scott H. Young — no longer holds since 2026-07-22 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Working harder cannot beat working on a better thing, so out-thinking someone should count as part of out-working them. — tap to centre the map on it Working harder cannot beat working on a better thing, so out-thinking someone should count as part of out-working them. Last stated 10 months ago
1 Jan 2026
JC
James Clear — holds since 2026-01-01 — tap for who they are
Same subject: AI is still not good at design, but it is good at taking direction, which works as long as you direct it clearly and make the right decisions. — tap to centre the map on it AI is still not good at design, but it is good at taking direction, which works as long as you direct it clearly and make the right decisions. Last stated 4 months ago
16 Jun 2026
BW
Brett Williams — holds since 2026-06-16 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Knowing when to use AI tools for execution and when to go deep on the thinking work is a skill, and quality and polish do not have to take all of a designer's time. — tap to centre the map on it Knowing when to use AI tools for execution and when to go deep on the thinking work is a skill, and quality and polish do not have to take all of a designer's time. Last stated 4 months ago
8 Jul 2026
MC
Meaghan Choi — holds since 2026-07-08 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Focus and simplicity are worth the work: simple can be harder than complex, because the thinking has to be got clean, but once there one can move mountains. — tap to centre the map on it Focus and simplicity are worth the work: simple can be harder than complex, because the thinking has to be got clean, but once there one can move mountains. Last stated 28 years ago
14 May 1998
SJ
Steve Jobs — holds since 1998-05-14 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A drop in agency is the earliest sign of burnout, arriving before you consciously notice you are burning out. — tap to centre the map on it A drop in agency is the earliest sign of burnout, arriving before you consciously notice you are burning out. Last stated 3 years ago
10 Jan 2024
CH
Cate Hall — holds since 2024-01-10 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A founder who picks an idea because the market wants it will give up, because nobody can persist at something that was never important to them. — tap to centre the map on it A founder who picks an idea because the market wants it will give up, because nobody can persist at something that was never important to them. Last stated 2 years ago
19 Jun 2024
AS
Aravind Srinivas — holds since 2024-06-19 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A general inclination of all humankind is a perpetual, restless desire of power after power that ends only in death — tap to centre the map on it A general inclination of all humankind is a perpetual, restless desire of power after power that ends only in death
TH
Thomas Hobbes — holds since c. 1651 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A business can use stewardship of a community publication as a top-of-funnel customer acquisition strategy without needing the publication itself to generate revenue directly. — tap to centre the map on it A business can use stewardship of a community publication as a top-of-funnel customer acquisition strategy without needing the publication itself to generate revenue directly. Last stated a month ago
21 Sept 2026
CC
Chris Coyier — holds since 2026-09-21 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A CEO can master both peacetime and wartime leadership, but it is hard — tap to centre the map on it A CEO can master both peacetime and wartime leadership, but it is hard Last stated 16 years ago
14 Apr 2011
BH
Ben Horowitz — holds since 2011-04-14 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A company can produce a good commercial without a large budget — tap to centre the map on it A company can produce a good commercial without a large budget Last stated 4 years ago
21 Mar 2023
DH
David Heinemeier Hansson — holds since 2023-03-21 — tap for who they are
Same subject: “Why now?” is the wrong question to make a founder answer — the honest answer can simply be that you started now. — tap to centre the map on it “Why now?” is the wrong question to make a founder answer — the honest answer can simply be that you started now. Last stated 3 months ago
28 Jul 2026
BS
Blake Scholl — holds since 2026-07-28 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A belief nobody else shares is a warning, and a belief everybody shares is also a warning; the right number of people who agree with you is small but not zero. — tap to centre the map on it A belief nobody else shares is a warning, and a belief everybody shares is also a warning; the right number of people who agree with you is small but not zero. Last stated 3 months ago
28 Jul 2026
SA
Sam Altman — holds since 2026-07-28 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A business can have market fit, real advantages, and sustained effort behind a hard product and still fail if it doesn't give customers a strong enough reason to switch from what they already use. — tap to centre the map on it A business can have market fit, real advantages, and sustained effort behind a hard product and still fail if it doesn't give customers a strong enough reason to switch from what they already use. Last stated 5 months ago
2 Jun 2026
JJ
Justin Jackson — holds since 2026-06-02 — tap for who they are
At the centre
Work smarter, not harder is bad advice, because the only way to find out what smart looks like is to work very hard first.
Holds Read this korrent →
“Work on what you know” is the worst advice there is: knowledge can be acquired, but what you love cannot be changed.
Holds
Smart people are unhappy because they are smart, not smart because they are unhappy, and they can be both happy and smart with more work.
Holds
Bigger is smarter, always: bringing your special domain knowledge to the model is the wrong side of the bitter lesson.
Holds
Struggling with a hard problem before being shown the answer is not always the best way to learn; a hint or a worked example can beat floundering.
No longer holds
Working harder cannot beat working on a better thing, so out-thinking someone should count as part of out-working them.
Holds
AI is still not good at design, but it is good at taking direction, which works as long as you direct it clearly and make the right decisions.
Holds
Knowing when to use AI tools for execution and when to go deep on the thinking work is a skill, and quality and polish do not have to take all of a designer's time.
Holds
Focus and simplicity are worth the work: simple can be harder than complex, because the thinking has to be got clean, but once there one can move mountains.
Holds
A drop in agency is the earliest sign of burnout, arriving before you consciously notice you are burning out.
Holds
A founder who picks an idea because the market wants it will give up, because nobody can persist at something that was never important to them.
Holds
A general inclination of all humankind is a perpetual, restless desire of power after power that ends only in death
Last stated c. 1651
Holds
A business can use stewardship of a community publication as a top-of-funnel customer acquisition strategy without needing the publication itself to generate revenue directly.
Holds
A CEO can master both peacetime and wartime leadership, but it is hard
Holds
A company can produce a good commercial without a large budget
Holds
“Why now?” is the wrong question to make a founder answer — the honest answer can simply be that you started now.
Holds
A belief nobody else shares is a warning, and a belief everybody shares is also a warning; the right number of people who agree with you is small but not zero.
Holds
A business can have market fit, real advantages, and sustained effort behind a hard product and still fail if it doesn't give customers a strong enough reason to switch from what they already use.
Holds