I think there is one advice that is of questionable quality: the advice to "keep pushing for quality". "Make the highest quality". That sounds really good. But how easy that?
The problem is simply that you first have to be able to recognize what is quality and what is not. And that's the greatest difficulty of all. If you make something of really great quality that everyone thinks is quality, then it will work well. But what if it's really good for you, but not for anyone else?
Take for example all these YC companies. ALL of them are working on something they are constantly trying to make great. But a number of them just don't end up with something that people regard as being quality, and so they fail.
Before you can make something of great quality, you have to recognize what is of quality to other people. And that is an extremely difficult task that, dare I say this, most people cannot do.
Most people cannot properly place themselves in another persons shoes. They cannot look at their products from the outside. And so long they cannot do that, they cannot guage when something is of high quality, and will forever be unable to take that advice.
Robert Pirsig has some words to say on this. If the idea of pursuing quality intrigues you it might be worth your time to take a read through his books, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" and "Lila".
The problem is simply that you first have to be able to recognize what is quality and what is not. And that's the greatest difficulty of all. If you make something of really great quality that everyone thinks is quality, then it will work well. But what if it's really good for you, but not for anyone else?
Take for example all these YC companies. ALL of them are working on something they are constantly trying to make great. But a number of them just don't end up with something that people regard as being quality, and so they fail.
Before you can make something of great quality, you have to recognize what is of quality to other people. And that is an extremely difficult task that, dare I say this, most people cannot do.
Most people cannot properly place themselves in another persons shoes. They cannot look at their products from the outside. And so long they cannot do that, they cannot guage when something is of high quality, and will forever be unable to take that advice.