He smiled a little. He looked forward, thinking, perhaps about the movie, as if it hadn’t crossed his mind for a long time. Then he grinned and said: “Money job.”
~ Ben Stiller from, Gene Hackman’s Simple Truth
It’s not clear, of course, exactly how Hackman meant for Stiller to take his simply reply. But, having seen The Poseidon Adventure, I’m taking it this way: Hackman is a consummate professional, able to deliver. “You need what done? I can do that.” That’s a professional.
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We’re told to “just ship it,” but also to “make it great.” Where do you draw the line? When do you prioritize polish, and when do you hit publish?
I had to learn—the way you learn to ride a bicycle: do it over and over, the “principle” of the thing doesn’t help you do the thing—that the tension is a good sign. Now when I feel the tension between quality and consistency I know I’m in the correct place.
This morning, I’m thinking about a rowing metaphor: One oar is quality and the other is consistency. Pull evenly and the boat goes straight-ish. Also, if you try to row too hard, you get exhausted. The best way to make long-term progress is to row these two things, in balance, at a sustainable pace.
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Sorry — too little time left.
~ Richard Avedon, from Creative People Say No
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Well, there’s someone who has it figured out.
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Fun is not the right word. It is demanding, but somehow I also find pleasure in that.
~ Seong-Jin Cho, from Seong-Jin Cho – The Talks
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While rock climbing (outdoors, on real rocks, at real heights) I was once told that there are three types of fun: Type-1 fun is when something is fun, right now. Type-2 fun is when it’s not fun now, but is nonetheless great because of the experience, stories and learning being gained. …and then there’s Type-3 fun when nope, this is bad, mistakes have been made, and I want out of here.
I wonder if a big part of what draws me to be professional about what I do is that it’s really just Type-2 fun?
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The final challenge isn’t just to do the work but to exceed expectations. My approach at Borland and whenever a helpful someone gives me constructive feedback is to hear it, address it, and act on it in a fashion that demonstrates that I am the expert.
~ Michael Lopp, from Ok. So, You’re Failing
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Exceeding expectations is a slippery slope. By definition, that’s moving beyond the point of success. (Assuming those expectations are reasonably set.) A little bit of better, is better. But how much of myself do I want to sacrifice as I push farther? A key part of the dance of being professional is learning how to set my own goals and expectations which are beyond those of others and still reasonable.
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[Don’t you need a certain kind of passion during those dry spells, to keep going?] Not at all. What keeps you going is stubbornness, economic necessity, or simply endurance. Passion will, at most, lead to frustration, but not to perseverance. For that, you don’t need passion, you need persistence.
~ Christoph Waltz, from Christoph Waltz – The Talks
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It’s an interesting interview just for his views on passion. I agree with him: Passion will get you out the door on days 1 and 2. But by day 3 you need a routine, an understanding of the effort your undertaking, a clear perspective on what it’s going to be in the long haul, and more. But if you really want to get wowed by Waltz, go find Quentin Tarantino’s conversation on The Moment podcast with Brian Koppelman… the part where Tarantino talks about bringing Waltz onto the project…
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The essence of professionalism is the focus upon the work and its demands, while we are doing it, to the exclusion of all else. The ancient Spartans schooled themselves to regard the enemy, any enemy, as nameless and faceless. In other words, they believed that if they did their work, no force on Earth could stand against them.
~ Steven Pressfield
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The benefit is precisely in the bureaucracy of it.
~ Matt Webb, from Beaches are for people who enjoy the bureaucracy of going to the beach
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Webb isn’t really making a point about beach-going.
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It’s easy to misunderstand the idea of agile and the minimum viable product. We shouldn’t forget that the unspoken rule is: Don’t ship junk. We send a message to the market when we’re in such a hurry that we don’t put in the care and focus needed to do great work.
~ Seth Godin, from Winging it
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What Godin is pointing at, I refer to as “being professional.” A professional is someone who understands what he’s talking about, strives be what he’s talking about, and—most importantly—is slightly annoyed by people who are not professional. If non-professional people don’t annoy you (a little bit), you need to recheck your self-assessment. Professionals recognize other professionals (regardless of their respective professions) and professionals prefer to associate with other professionals.
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The amateur believes he must first overcome his fear; Then he can do his work. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome. He knows there is no such thing as a fearless warrior or a dread-free artist.
~ Steven Pressfield
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