Comments on: Malcolm Gladwell On The Beatles’ Success http://www.rikinontheweb.com/malcolm-gladwell-on-the-beatles-success A blog about how digital media and the internet are effecting our lives. Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:16:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Michael http://www.rikinontheweb.com/malcolm-gladwell-on-the-beatles-success/comment-page-1#comment-318 Michael Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:12:26 +0000 http://www.rikinontheweb.com/?p=223#comment-318 I read "Outliers" as well and I was struck by the Beatles example as evidence of the requisite practice hours, a price many talented people are unwilling to pay. <br><br>The challenge with being really talented is that it can make you lazy, and if you grow up (for example) dominating your academics with little or no effort, you are ill equipped for the rigors of a greater challenge. Getting by on talent only goes so far, in the Beatles example, super talented and paid the sweat equity needed to be great. I read “Outliers” as well and I was struck by the Beatles example as evidence of the requisite practice hours, a price many talented people are unwilling to pay.

The challenge with being really talented is that it can make you lazy, and if you grow up (for example) dominating your academics with little or no effort, you are ill equipped for the rigors of a greater challenge. Getting by on talent only goes so far, in the Beatles example, super talented and paid the sweat equity needed to be great.

]]> By: Michael http://www.rikinontheweb.com/malcolm-gladwell-on-the-beatles-success/comment-page-1#comment-38 Michael Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:12:26 +0000 http://www.rikinontheweb.com/?p=223#comment-38 I read "Outliers" as well and I was struck by the Beatles example as evidence of the requisite practice hours, a price many talented people are unwilling to pay. <br><br>The challenge with being really talented is that it can make you lazy, and if you grow up (for example) dominating your academics with little or no effort, you are ill equipped for the rigors of a greater challenge. Getting by on talent only goes so far, in the Beatles example, super talented and paid the sweat equity needed to be great. I read “Outliers” as well and I was struck by the Beatles example as evidence of the requisite practice hours, a price many talented people are unwilling to pay.

The challenge with being really talented is that it can make you lazy, and if you grow up (for example) dominating your academics with little or no effort, you are ill equipped for the rigors of a greater challenge. Getting by on talent only goes so far, in the Beatles example, super talented and paid the sweat equity needed to be great.

]]> By: Justin (Oats) http://www.rikinontheweb.com/malcolm-gladwell-on-the-beatles-success/comment-page-1#comment-35 Justin (Oats) Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:10:43 +0000 http://www.rikinontheweb.com/?p=223#comment-35 I agree that during their Hamburg experience they put in the hard work and the time necessary to tighten their music up and become a unified band, however - and I'm sure this is addressed in his book - it's not pure talent that makes anyone or any band successful, it's chance - being at the right place at the right time and getting heard by the right person at the right time. Without that discovery, the Beatles could have just been another wallflower band that wrote amazing music but was only known by a discrete few. What makes something an outlier is the slight chance to be successful, and if that chance is missed, they're just another hard working band playing strip clubs and other local joints for a sufficient and steady income.<br><br> You may further be interested in the book Fooled By Randomness (Nassim Nicholas Taleb), which similarly covers the idea that nothing is random, everything is determined by chance and probability. <br><br>Great clip. I enjoyed reading this. I agree that during their Hamburg experience they put in the hard work and the time necessary to tighten their music up and become a unified band, however – and I'm sure this is addressed in his book – it's not pure talent that makes anyone or any band successful, it's chance – being at the right place at the right time and getting heard by the right person at the right time. Without that discovery, the Beatles could have just been another wallflower band that wrote amazing music but was only known by a discrete few. What makes something an outlier is the slight chance to be successful, and if that chance is missed, they're just another hard working band playing strip clubs and other local joints for a sufficient and steady income.

You may further be interested in the book Fooled By Randomness (Nassim Nicholas Taleb), which similarly covers the idea that nothing is random, everything is determined by chance and probability.

Great clip. I enjoyed reading this.

]]> By: rikin http://www.rikinontheweb.com/malcolm-gladwell-on-the-beatles-success/comment-page-1#comment-21 rikin Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:41:43 +0000 http://www.rikinontheweb.com/?p=223#comment-21 Stephen, Tipping Point was in my opinion Gladwell's finest work. His other book, Blink, has been my least favorite of his three books. Check them out here: <a href="http://www.gladwell.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.gladwell.com/</a> Stephen, Tipping Point was in my opinion Gladwell's finest work. His other book, Blink, has been my least favorite of his three books. Check them out here: http://www.gladwell.com/

]]> By: Stephen http://www.rikinontheweb.com/malcolm-gladwell-on-the-beatles-success/comment-page-1#comment-19 Stephen Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:42:25 +0000 http://www.rikinontheweb.com/?p=223#comment-19 Rikin, I agree. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were lucky, brilliant, and worked hard. I haven't read the book but I should get it. I read a previous book of his called The Tipping Point I think. Rikin, I agree. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were lucky, brilliant, and worked hard. I haven't read the book but I should get it. I read a previous book of his called The Tipping Point I think.

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