This morning I was reading through some of the comments on an article at Hacker News, and stumbled across this one:
The key is to hire rockstars—they produce more value in four days than a mediocre employee does given weeks. If you gave the typical person free food and time off. They’d stuff themselves until they got diabetes and spend the rest of their time watching reruns of ‘Room Raiders’ on MTV.
I am perfectly willing to acknowledge that not all of us excel at the same things, but I’m coming to believe more and more firmly that this whole “typical person” entity is a myth. I’ve never met a typical person. There are only people who are passionate about what they do, and people who aren’t. When the latter become the former, they become “atypical”, because suddenly they are self-motivated, insightful, excited, optimistic, and happy.
Matt Lee
on 05 Mar 08I don’t see Google churning out dozens of diabetics, either.
Some people will be jealous of any work environment that improves on the norm.
Mike
on 05 Mar 08Are they joking? NOBODY watches ‘Room Raiders’ on MTV.
FredS
on 05 Mar 08Ever try coaching inner city football?
Charlton
on 05 Mar 08I think a more salient distinction is between people who get excited about what they do for work and people who do not.
This is a pattern I’ve noticed in myself: when I’m excited and involved and passionate about what I’m doing, I’m far more productive than when otherwise. I’ve had jobs where I was passionate and jobs where I was apathetic, and both states were a combination of internal and external factors.
The “typical person” is not excited about his job, probably for a combination of internal and external factors. Sometimes it seems as if work life and school life are designed to squash individuality, creativity, and passion. In this state, the person who is passionately involved with his job becomes atypical.
Daniel Higginbotham
on 05 Mar 08You could probably substitute “the majority of people” for “the typical person” to put the statement in a more verifiable form while preserving its meaning.
From there it’s easy to say things like, the typical person is likely to spend his free time watching tv – that’s how most Americans spend much of their free time. Also, something like 65% of Americans are overweight.
That could lead a cynical person to think that given the 4-day-workweek, free food environment the “typical person” would do what the commenter described.
And anyone, my guess is that as an intelligent, motivated person you don’t associate with “typical people” as much as the typical person does, so your observations probably have sampling bias.
shofr
on 05 Mar 08These people really do exist. Usually the peeps with passion, motivation, and drive do not associate with this other, ‘eMpTyV watching’ group. Just as FredS said, inner city football is a perfect example. For other examples, visit the local DMV (or BMV), check out the McDonald’s dining room around 6 PM, or venture into a Wal-Mart at midafternoon.
It doesn’t just end at being passionate about what you do. It’s about taking care of yourself (physically and mentally), striving for happiness in a relationship, and having a hobby or interests that stimulate your brain.
The visual I always have in my head for this personality type is David Puddy from Seinfeld. Specifically the scene where he and Elaine are traveling on an airplane. She asks if he wants a magazine, and his response is simply “no”, as he stares straight ahead. This is what “typical person” is doing. They are starting straight ahead in life, blankly, emotionless, not picking up a (proverbial) magazine, just waiting for the flight to end.
So, sadly I disagree, I think the “typical person” is very real, and in the majority.
Vladimir
on 05 Mar 08Yep: there are no ordinary people. But there are typical employees. All people are passionate about smth. The problem is that most of them are not passionate about their job, they don’t know how to monetize their passion and….. 99% of the time they don’t know what are they passionate about.
So from a business perspective there are so many typical employees.
Chris Carter
on 05 Mar 08You know what I’m sick of? The phrase “rock star” when applied to developers. Sure, it sounds like a great thing, but it’s gotten so overused that every company describes themselves as “rock stars” now. Every slick Silicon Valley flyboy advises that the key to success is to pick up a few “rock star programmers” and suddenly the skies will open up and success will drench your worthless idea as angels carry you around on their shoulders.
Two pictures now come to mind for me when I hear “rock star” used, and I almost instantly (for right or wrong) write the people using it off as unimportant:
1. An over-caffeinated high school basket ball coach yelling belligerently how awesome his team is when…it’s high school basketball.
2. The wall to wall loads of neutered crap slingers that pass for “actual” rock stars in modern times.
The ability to make a javascript fade function does not a rock star make.
Right. Time to quit drinking at work :)
And you’re right about the other part Jamis, I think the “typical person”, while sold to be a very objective description, ends up being inherently very subjective in the process.
Ed Knittel
on 05 Mar 08Jamis, the reason you think the whole “typical person” thing is a myth is because you don’t see it. And that’s not to post a jab at you. It just means that you’ve surrounded yourself with bright, smart, like-minded people. But you’re kidding yourself if you think that the typical person doesn’t drag there ass out of bed every day to go to some deadend job where there one moment of happiness is the 10 minutes they get is sitting in the handicap bathroom stall at the office reading the comics.
The typical person is struggling to figure out how they’re going to pay their mortgage, afford healthcare, send their kids to a good school and try to plan some shitty vacation to Great America this summer.
Go to the U.P. of Michigan, Cincinnati Ohio, or New Orleans – that’s the “typical” person.
Ed Knittel
on 05 Mar 08On preview: that Rockstar shit has got to stop.
Dylan Thomas
on 05 Mar 08An old adage:
Beware generalizations. The average American has one breast and one testicle.
Zac Brown
on 05 Mar 08The trick is not to hire “rock stars.” The trick is to hire those whom you think will rise to the occasion. Given an incentive, there’s no reason why one would not rise to the occasion.
If I got a job that let me work 4 days a week, supplied me with some supplemental cash for my hobbies and paid for conferences etc. you’re damned sure I wouldn’t squander my time being useless. I would hate to get fired from that job for abusing privileges given.
Its true you get an idiot once in a while who will abuse that, but if you think about it, if they’re was smart enough to get hired to work at this kind of firm (be it 37signals, Google, or any other fantastic start-up), then chances are they’re smart enough to put in their due.
John
on 05 Mar 08You don’t hire rock stars – they’re more a product of environment than simply having top-notch skills. Think less of a “rock star”, but more of a star athlete in a team sport, who more often than not A) needs to be in the right system, B) needs to be surrounded by the right people, and C) needs to be provided with the necessary motivational vision (the type he buys into)... in order to excel.
Any player with star-level skills who’s in the wrong environment can easily be degraded to “typical” or “average” when the situation isn’t right. The approach shouldn’t be to “hire rock stars”, but to hire smart people who fit in and share the passion/vision for whatever the organization does – these people will eventually (often quickly) elevate themselves to “rock star” status.
Justin
on 06 Mar 08Beware generalizations. The average American has one breast and one testicle.
LOL.
Neil Wilson
on 06 Mar 08Beware generalizations. The average American has one breast and one testicle.
But it may explain why so many things are built half-cocked…
Sammy
on 06 Mar 08Given the choice between a stable of “competent” coders who care about their work, in an environment that fosters communication, and a bunch of “rock stars” who aren’t talking to each other, I’ll take option A any day of the week.
brad
on 06 Mar 08Jamis, you rule. It was very encouraging to hear that, and I’m sure I speak for others besides myself. Thanks.
jon o
on 06 Mar 08There are only people who are passionate about what they do, and people who aren’t. When the latter become the former, they become “atypical”, because suddenly they are self-motivated, insightful, excited, optimistic, and happy.
Totally. I meet too many managers/executives who think the meat of their job is to manage people. As if people were resources, or livestock. The real challenge is to create an environment where dispassionate people can and are encouraged to become passionate about what they do, isn’t it?
peterchen
on 07 Mar 08The average die roll is 3.5 You’ll never roll it, but it’s still the average. “typical” is a concept. If correct, it allows you to make some assumptions and predictions – that’s what it is for.
Nic
on 07 Mar 08Regarding the term “rockstar”. In it’s original meaning, a rockstar is actually an ordinary person – what makes them a rockstar is two things: a talent for music, and a passion for music (and possible showbiz/entertainment).
So what’s a rockstar programmer (or any other profession for that matter)? It’s someone with talent for programming, and a passion for programming.
Niyaz PK
on 10 Mar 08You can read my take on the topic at http://www.diovo.com/?p=76
This discussion is closed.