Re:Why Talent Is Overrated
by thomasmallen on Tuesday October 21, 2008 @09:53PM
(#339631)
If you're in a creative position, talent is essential. But if you simply need to make the right decisions (or not too many wrong ones) and get the job done reasonably well to get ahead. For a guy like Ballmer (featured in the article), discipline and diligence far outvalue talent.
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> If you're in a creative position, talent is essential.
I used to believe this strongly as well. I worked with a great web graphics designer on several projects 3-5 years ago. We'd collaborate on overall flow and wireframes. He'd make it look good, and I'd make it work.
I commented once that I wished I had his artistic talent. His response was basically that if along the way I'd spent as long in photoshop working on and trying to dream up mockups as he had, I'd be just as good.
Since then I've come to strongly agree with him.