Skip to main content

Diigo Home

Study Hacks » Blog Archive » The Pyramid Method: A Simple Strategy For Becomin... - The Diigo Meta page

calnewport.com/...or-becoming-exceptionally-good - Cached - Annotated View

Joel Liu's personal annotations on this page

joel
Joel bookmarked on 2009-07-19 productivity learning
  • My answer reflects an observation that plays an increasingly important role in my understanding of the world: if you want to do something interesting and rewarding — be it writing a novel, becoming a professor, or growing a successful business — you have to first become exceptional. As Study Hacks readers know, I think Steve Martin put it best when he noted that the key to breaking into a competitive and desirable field is to “become so good, they can’t ignore you.”

    • I call this general technique the Pyramid Method. I claim that it’s a powerful approach for anyone looking to transform an interest or natural talent into an expertise that cannot be ignored. Regardless of the pursuit in question, if you want to take it someplace serious, follow Chris’s example. This means:



      1. Pick a single relevant venue to join at the entry level and work to increase your standing.
      2. Make sure the venue offers clear metrics on your progress; use these metrics to guide your efforts to get better.
      3. Forget all the other bullshit advice and mini-strategies people offer for getting ahead in your pursuit. If you can’t master this one venue, then you don’t yet deserve the world’s respect.
      4. Put your head down, and get it done.

This link has been bookmarked by 10 people . It was first bookmarked on 03 Jun 2009, by Ambika K.

  • 20 Jul 09
    devinw
    Devin Walters

    strategy education lifehacks productivity success inspiration self-improvement career advice

  • maizeroad
    Maizeroad ...

    blogs academic how to writing productivity

  • 19 Jul 09
    bdeveloper
    BDev Sav
  • joel
    Joel Liu

    productivity learning

    • My answer reflects an observation that plays an increasingly important role in my understanding of the world: if you want to do something interesting and rewarding — be it writing a novel, becoming a professor, or growing a successful business — you have to first become exceptional. As Study Hacks readers know, I think Steve Martin put it best when he noted that the key to breaking into a competitive and desirable field is to “become so good, they can’t ignore you.”

      • I call this general technique the Pyramid Method. I claim that it’s a powerful approach for anyone looking to transform an interest or natural talent into an expertise that cannot be ignored. Regardless of the pursuit in question, if you want to take it someplace serious, follow Chris’s example. This means:



        1. Pick a single relevant venue to join at the entry level and work to increase your standing.
        2. Make sure the venue offers clear metrics on your progress; use these metrics to guide your efforts to get better.
        3. Forget all the other bullshit advice and mini-strategies people offer for getting ahead in your pursuit. If you can’t master this one venue, then you don’t yet deserve the world’s respect.
        4. Put your head down, and get it done.
  • juliob
    Julio B

    productivity bloggable

  • iskaldur
    Isk Aldur

    learning

  • basush
    Shrutarshi Basu

    Becoming exceptional requires an exceptional amount of work. Trust me, you can’t avoid this. But not all work is made equal. And the Pyramid Method focuses your attention exactly where it needs to be.

    productivity inspiration

  • 10 Jun 09
    candygoldfish
    Rosie Diamond

    imported Bookmarks_Menu Unsorted_Bookmarks Read_It_Later delicious

  • 05 Jun 09
    eugenios
    Eugene

    what is my one venue?
    80/20

    productivity career

    • The key to his transformation was two-fold: (1) Chris focused his attention on improving his standing at a single venue; and (2) this venue provided clear metrics, so he could track his progress and use this to tweak his practice to be as effective as possible.
    • I call this general technique the Pyramid Method. I claim that it’s a powerful approach for anyone looking to transform an interest or natural talent into an expertise that cannot be ignored.
    • 2 more annotations...
  • 03 Jun 09
    ambioct
    Ambika K

    medcareer academics attitude

      • Make sure the venue offers clear metrics on your progress; use these metrics to guide your efforts to get better.
      • Forget all the other bullshit advice and mini-strategies people offer for getting ahead in your pursuit. If you can’t master this one venue, then you don’t yet deserve the world’s respect.

    • college’s literary journal. The entry level for this venue is getting a piece published. The higher levels include getting a story featured on the cover and being invited to join the editorial board.


      If he can’t conquer this venue then he certainly can’t expect a book deal. So instead of wasting time reading about tricks for getting an agent, or diving straight into a novel manuscript, he should consider pouring all of his writerly focus into this Pyramid.

    • 1 more annotations...