Comments on: Who have you taken advice from and why does their advice work? http://www.startbreakingfree.com/463/who-have-you-taken-advice-from-and-why-does-their-advice-work/ Experiments in tech entrepreneurship Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:07:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Brian Armstrong http://www.startbreakingfree.com/463/who-have-you-taken-advice-from-and-why-does-their-advice-work/comment-page-1/#comment-1081 Brian Armstrong Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:45:10 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=463#comment-1081 Hi Christian, you're right it's argument ad hominem, but that has a negative connotation because it typically refers to a personal attack on someone to discredit them such as a sexist or racist remark. This isn't a personal attack, its establishing credibility, which of course has to be done in a court of law all the time and is just plain common sense. You wouldn't ask a bum on the street for investment advice. Some rich people are lucky, but long term wealth is unlikely to come from wealth. Imagine someone whose last 3 businesses have been successful or who has continually built their net worth for the last 20 years. The chance of that being luck goes down substantially. Stats show that people do do get rich in a lucky way (lotto) often lose it rather quickly. Anyway, you're right that people who are "naturally good" at something often don't know or can't explain how they do it. But i'd sure rather be around one of them trying to figure it out, then getting advice from poor people! ;) Anyway, not to get too dramatic on here but I believe pretty strongly about that one. Brian Hi Christian, you’re right it’s argument ad hominem, but that has a negative connotation because it typically refers to a personal attack on someone to discredit them such as a sexist or racist remark.

This isn’t a personal attack, its establishing credibility, which of course has to be done in a court of law all the time and is just plain common sense. You wouldn’t ask a bum on the street for investment advice.

Some rich people are lucky, but long term wealth is unlikely to come from wealth. Imagine someone whose last 3 businesses have been successful or who has continually built their net worth for the last 20 years. The chance of that being luck goes down substantially. Stats show that people do do get rich in a lucky way (lotto) often lose it rather quickly.

Anyway, you’re right that people who are “naturally good” at something often don’t know or can’t explain how they do it. But i’d sure rather be around one of them trying to figure it out, then getting advice from poor people! ;)

Anyway, not to get too dramatic on here but I believe pretty strongly about that one.
Brian

]]> By: christian http://www.startbreakingfree.com/463/who-have-you-taken-advice-from-and-why-does-their-advice-work/comment-page-1/#comment-1080 christian Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:39:26 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=463#comment-1080 i believe that's a logical fallacy called ad hominem... when you ignore the content of an idea or piece of advice based on who's giving it. unfortunately it's not always that easy as many successful people either don't realize how they got there or prefer to believe in false reasons to make themselves look better or more uniquely insightful. i believe that’s a logical fallacy called ad hominem… when you ignore the content of an idea or piece of advice based on who’s giving it. unfortunately it’s not always that easy as many successful people either don’t realize how they got there or prefer to believe in false reasons to make themselves look better or more uniquely insightful.

]]> By: Brian Armstrong http://www.startbreakingfree.com/463/who-have-you-taken-advice-from-and-why-does-their-advice-work/comment-page-1/#comment-1079 Brian Armstrong Tue, 21 Oct 2008 04:26:15 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=463#comment-1079 Thanks for the question Frank, and you're right about identifying values. Some people I just don't trust and I don't take advice from them. I've noticed that the people who I trust more talk about their failures just as easily as they talk about their successes. Thanks for the question Frank, and you’re right about identifying values. Some people I just don’t trust and I don’t take advice from them. I’ve noticed that the people who I trust more talk about their failures just as easily as they talk about their successes.

]]> By: Frank Denbow http://www.startbreakingfree.com/463/who-have-you-taken-advice-from-and-why-does-their-advice-work/comment-page-1/#comment-1078 Frank Denbow Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:13:09 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=463#comment-1078 Hey Brian, Glad to see I could contribute with the forum :) I had to test out your no-login posting, which is an awesome idea. For me I try to take advice from people who have similar values in business/life as me. For the core principles of the mission/drive of a company I take advice from these people, and take tactics from others who may not have my same approach. As long as I understand the real meaning behind peoples actions/thoughts I will always mix and match things from what I read about. Hey Brian,

Glad to see I could contribute with the forum :) I had to test out your no-login posting, which is an awesome idea.

For me I try to take advice from people who have similar values in business/life as me. For the core principles of the mission/drive of a company I take advice from these people, and take tactics from others who may not have my same approach. As long as I understand the real meaning behind peoples actions/thoughts I will always mix and match things from what I read about.

]]> By: Brian Armstrong http://www.startbreakingfree.com/463/who-have-you-taken-advice-from-and-why-does-their-advice-work/comment-page-1/#comment-1077 Brian Armstrong Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:11:26 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=463#comment-1077 Good point...I use friends & family for guinea pigs aka getting early feedback too. Good point…I use friends & family for guinea pigs aka getting early feedback too.

]]> By: Jamie Harrop http://www.startbreakingfree.com/463/who-have-you-taken-advice-from-and-why-does-their-advice-work/comment-page-1/#comment-1076 Jamie Harrop Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:08:54 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=463#comment-1076 Absolutely. I guess it's just like asking the public to find problems. Beta testing, if you like. Once the beta testers (friends/family) have done their work, you can then take all the issues back to the people that can fix them. :) Jamie Absolutely.

I guess it’s just like asking the public to find problems. Beta testing, if you like. Once the beta testers (friends/family) have done their work, you can then take all the issues back to the people that can fix them. :)

Jamie

]]> By: Brian Armstrong http://www.startbreakingfree.com/463/who-have-you-taken-advice-from-and-why-does-their-advice-work/comment-page-1/#comment-1075 Brian Armstrong Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:05:41 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=463#comment-1075 Yep that's true Jamie. When it comes time to be CREATIVE, I think outsiders do a much better job at thinking outside the box. Brainstorming, product idea generation, etc. Maybe not so much when it comes to practical implementation though. Yep that’s true Jamie. When it comes time to be CREATIVE, I think outsiders do a much better job at thinking outside the box. Brainstorming, product idea generation, etc. Maybe not so much when it comes to practical implementation though.

]]> By: Jamie Harrop http://www.startbreakingfree.com/463/who-have-you-taken-advice-from-and-why-does-their-advice-work/comment-page-1/#comment-1074 Jamie Harrop Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:07:21 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=463#comment-1074 Hey Brian, I agree with you to a large extent, although there are times when I like to ask for advice from people outside the circle (like friends and family). I often find those people within the circle, including myself, suffer from varying degrees of tunnel vision. Often, friends and family are able to think of something I or other people in the circle haven't thought of. Then I can take those thoughts to the circle and the people who know business can discuss and solve them (if something needs solving). Jamie Hey Brian,

I agree with you to a large extent, although there are times when I like to ask for advice from people outside the circle (like friends and family).

I often find those people within the circle, including myself, suffer from varying degrees of tunnel vision. Often, friends and family are able to think of something I or other people in the circle haven’t thought of. Then I can take those thoughts to the circle and the people who know business can discuss and solve them (if something needs solving).

Jamie

]]> By: Caroline http://www.startbreakingfree.com/463/who-have-you-taken-advice-from-and-why-does-their-advice-work/comment-page-1/#comment-1073 Caroline Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:45:06 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=463#comment-1073 It seems obvious but many people ignore this advice. It can be quite dangerous acting on second hand advice. It seems obvious but many people ignore this advice. It can be quite dangerous acting on second hand advice.

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