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No Exit Strategy for Your Life's Work, Surround Yourself with Smarter People

Surround Yourself with Smarter People

When I got my - after college, I got a job and I was working with a few friends of mine in Boston as a software engineer. So, I am a programmer by training and I got a job at a company in Boston called ATG, the Art Technology Group. That's what it was called at the time. I think it has since been bought by Oracle a couple of years ago. And, ATG was this amazing company. I joined them right before they IPOed and we built - we just built all this awesome technology. We invented a lot of the stuff that you just sort of take for granted on the Internet, like dynamic web pages and stuff like that. This was in the late '90s. And, I had this phenomenal experience at ATG, which is for - up to now at every point in my life, I was sort of used to feeling like I was the smartest person in the room, totally not, just to fight obviously. But that was the feeling I had, right? I was this kind of the snotty, nerdish kid and I always felt that, like, I was always the smartest person in the room pretty much all the time. Yeah, yeah, sure, the other kids had girlfriends and were good at sports. But, I always got the sense that I was the smartest person. And, at ATG that was the first time where that was patently not true, where like even somebody like me could look around and be like man, I suck, I am below average here. Like, this is a brilliant group of people, a brilliant group of developers and engineers, and they are getting stuff done in an amazing way, and I am like I am in awe of this team, and I frankly was below average. Like, I kind of got the feeling that, like, they were putting up with me because I was, like, I was just worth it to put up with. But, I certainly wasn't one of the star developers, one of the star programmers. Their other people were. And, I had this - when I first realized this, first, it really troubled me, you know, greatly. But, then I realized this is awesome. This is like the first time I'm ever really enjoying myself. This is the first time where I felt like the environment that I was in that I lucked into by joining this company, and it wasn't the first company I worked at, right? I had worked at tons of places where I did feel like I was the smartest person in the room. But, in this environment where I clearly wasn't, where there was everyone around me or almost everyone was much smarter than I was, was the first time that I was actually happy and comfortable and not stressed out and not thinking about the end of the world for some strange reason. And, I thought this is great. This is how I'm going to structure my life. I want to structure my life so that I am never the smartest person in the room. I want to go to other rooms. I want to make friends. I want to create a bubble around me where everyone else is just so much better, you know, smarter, more productive, more capable because that's how stuff actually happens and that's how I get to feel good about things and that's how I learned things and learning is actually really fun when you are learning things that you care about. And, I kind of resolved to actually structure my life that way and that meant not working in places that were going to be stupid, not doing things that I didn't have any respect for, not associating with people when I could have avoided that I felt we thought was - weren't going to add to this but actively cultivating friends and relationships in work environments where I felt almost everyone else was smarter than I am. And, I've managed to hold on to that up until now. That's been one of the fundamental things that I have done that I think has worked really well. In fact, it's clearly the case here, right? Just me being in this room, I think, is an example of that. Like, I couldn't get into Stanford, right? By definition, you guys are all smarter than I am. This is me and if being here is very much part and parcel of that lifetime experiment of trying to surround myself with the most interesting, the best possible people and then just kind of seeing what happens.


Surround Yourself with Smarter People Surround Yourself with Smarter People Rodéate de gente más inteligente Otaczaj się mądrzejszymi ludźmi

When I got my - after college, I got a job and I was working with a few friends of mine in Boston as a software engineer. Quando me formei, depois da faculdade, consegui um emprego e estava trabalhando com alguns amigos meus em Boston como engenheiro de software. So, I am a programmer by training and I got a job at a company in Boston called ATG, the Art Technology Group. Então, sou programador por formação e consegui um emprego em uma empresa em Boston chamada ATG, o Art Technology Group. That's what it was called at the time. Era assim que se chamava na época. I think it has since been bought by Oracle a couple of years ago. Acho que já foi comprado pela Oracle há alguns anos. Я думаю, что с тех пор он был куплен Oracle пару лет назад. And, ATG was this amazing company. E, ATG era esta empresa incrível. I joined them right before they IPOed and we built - we just built all this awesome technology. Eu me juntei a eles logo antes do IPO e nós construímos - acabamos de construir toda essa tecnologia incrível. We invented a lot of the stuff that you just sort of take for granted on the Internet, like dynamic web pages and stuff like that. Nós inventamos um monte de coisas que você simplesmente dá como certo na Internet, como páginas da web dinâmicas e coisas assim. This was in the late '90s. Isso foi no final dos anos 90. And, I had this phenomenal experience at ATG, which is for - up to now at every point in my life, I was sort of used to feeling like I was the smartest person in the room, totally not, just to fight obviously. E, eu tive essa experiência fenomenal no ATG, que é para - até agora em todos os momentos da minha vida, eu estava meio acostumado a me sentir como se fosse a pessoa mais inteligente da sala, totalmente não, apenas para lutar, obviamente. But that was the feeling I had, right? Mas essa era a sensação que eu tinha, certo? I was this kind of the snotty, nerdish kid and I always felt that, like, I was always the smartest person in the room pretty much all the time. Eu era esse tipo de garoto arrogante e nerd e sempre senti que, tipo, eu sempre era a pessoa mais inteligente da sala praticamente o tempo todo. Yeah, yeah, sure, the other kids had girlfriends and were good at sports. Sim, sim, claro, os outros garotos tinham namoradas e eram bons em esportes. But, I always got the sense that I was the smartest person. Mas, eu sempre tive a sensação de que eu era a pessoa mais inteligente. And, at ATG that was the first time where that was patently not true, where like even somebody like me could look around and be like man, I suck, I am below average here. E, no ATG, foi a primeira vez que isso não era verdade, onde até mesmo alguém como eu poderia olhar em volta e ser como homem, eu sou uma merda, estou abaixo da média aqui. И в ATG это был первый случай, когда это было явно неправдой, когда даже кто-то вроде меня мог оглянуться вокруг и вести себя как мужчина, я отстой, здесь я ниже среднего. Like, this is a brilliant group of people, a brilliant group of developers and engineers, and they are getting stuff done in an amazing way, and I am like I am in awe of this team, and I frankly was below average. Tipo, este é um grupo brilhante de pessoas, um grupo brilhante de desenvolvedores e engenheiros, e eles estão fazendo as coisas de uma maneira incrível, e eu estou maravilhado com essa equipe, e francamente estava abaixo da média. Like, I kind of got the feeling that, like, they were putting up with me because I was, like, I was just worth it to put up with. Tipo, eu meio que tive a sensação de que eles estavam me aturando porque eu valia a pena aturar. But, I certainly wasn't one of the star developers, one of the star programmers. Mas, eu certamente não era um dos desenvolvedores de estrelas, um dos programadores de estrelas. Their other people were. Suas outras pessoas eram. And, I had this - when I first realized this, first, it really troubled me, you know, greatly. E, eu tive isso - quando eu percebi isso, primeiro, isso realmente me incomodou, você sabe, muito. But, then I realized this is awesome. Mas, então eu percebi que isso é incrível. This is like the first time I'm ever really enjoying myself. É como a primeira vez que estou realmente me divertindo. This is the first time where I felt like the environment that I was in that I lucked into by joining this company, and it wasn't the first company I worked at, right? Esta é a primeira vez em que me senti como o ambiente em que eu estava que tive a sorte de ingressar nesta empresa, e não foi a primeira empresa em que trabalhei, certo? I had worked at tons of places where I did feel like I was the smartest person in the room. Eu tinha trabalhado em vários lugares onde eu me sentia a pessoa mais inteligente da sala. But, in this environment where I clearly wasn't, where there was everyone around me or almost everyone was much smarter than I was, was the first time that I was actually happy and comfortable and not stressed out and not thinking about the end of the world for some strange reason. Mas, neste ambiente onde eu claramente não estava, onde havia todo mundo ao meu redor ou quase todo mundo era muito mais inteligente do que eu, foi a primeira vez que eu estava realmente feliz e confortável e não estressado e não pensando no fim do o mundo por algum motivo estranho. And, I thought this is great. E, eu pensei que isso é ótimo. This is how I'm going to structure my life. É assim que vou estruturar minha vida. I want to structure my life so that I am never the smartest person in the room. Eu quero estruturar minha vida para que eu nunca seja a pessoa mais inteligente da sala. I want to go to other rooms. Eu quero ir para outros quartos. I want to make friends. Eu quero fazer amigos. I want to create a bubble around me where everyone else is just so much better, you know, smarter, more productive, more capable because that's how stuff actually happens and that's how I get to feel good about things and that's how I learned things and learning is actually really fun when you are learning things that you care about. Eu quero criar uma bolha ao meu redor onde todo mundo é muito melhor, você sabe, mais inteligente, mais produtivo, mais capaz porque é assim que as coisas realmente acontecem e é assim que eu me sinto bem com as coisas e é assim que eu aprendi as coisas e aprender é realmente muito divertido quando você está aprendendo coisas com as quais se importa. And, I kind of resolved to actually structure my life that way and that meant not working in places that were going to be stupid, not doing things that I didn't have any respect for, not associating with people when I could have avoided that I felt we thought was - weren't going to add to this but actively cultivating friends and relationships in work environments where I felt almost everyone else was smarter than I am. E, eu meio que resolvi realmente estruturar minha vida dessa maneira e isso significava não trabalhar em lugares que seriam estúpidos, não fazer coisas pelas quais eu não tinha nenhum respeito, não me associar com pessoas quando eu poderia ter evitado isso Eu senti que pensávamos que era - não iríamos adicionar a isso, mas cultivar ativamente amigos e relacionamentos em ambientes de trabalho onde eu sentia que quase todo mundo era mais inteligente do que eu. And, I've managed to hold on to that up until now. E, eu consegui segurar isso até agora. That's been one of the fundamental things that I have done that I think has worked really well. Essa foi uma das coisas fundamentais que fiz e que acho que funcionou muito bem. In fact, it's clearly the case here, right? Na verdade, é claramente o caso aqui, certo? Just me being in this room, I think, is an example of that. Apenas eu estar nesta sala, eu acho, é um exemplo disso. Like, I couldn't get into Stanford, right? Tipo, eu não consegui entrar em Stanford, certo? By definition, you guys are all smarter than I am. Por definição, vocês são todos mais inteligentes do que eu. This is me and if being here is very much part and parcel of that lifetime experiment of trying to surround myself with the most interesting, the best possible people and then just kind of seeing what happens. Este sou eu e se estar aqui é parte integrante desse experimento de vida de tentar me cercar das pessoas mais interessantes e melhores possíveis e então apenas ver o que acontece.