Project Selection as Skill

Shaan Puri argues that hard work is overrated and that project selection and partner selection are far more important variables for success. Here's his framework.

Why hard work is overrated

• Hard work is maybe the fourth or fifth most important variable, not the first
• Successful people cite hard work because it gives them "air cover" - sounds like everyone had an equal shot
• Makes success seem like purely a personal decision rather than acknowledging other advantages
• Industry selection matters more than effort - working hard in restaurants still limits your outcomes significantly

The actual hierarchy of success variables

1. Project selection - What you work on is far more important than how hard you work
2. Partner selection - Who you work with matters a ton
3. Timing and luck - Other variables that come before hard work
4. Hard work - Somewhere around third, fourth, or fifth in importance

What hard work IS good for

• Developing skill when you're young
  • Easy to throw hours at problems in your twenties
  • Don't have good judgment yet, so time compensates
• Being serious and committed to learning
• Building skills that stick with you even when projects fail
  • Example: Learning After Effects, iMovie, Photoshop during failed sushi business
  • Those skills transferred to later projects in Silicon Valley
• Creating a flywheel when combined with genuine interest
  • Enjoy it → do it all the time → get really good → get results → enjoy it more

The skill-building principle

• Skills can't be inherited, bought, or taken away - only earned
• Skills are the most valuable thing to accumulate
• Most projects fail, but skills stick with you
• Skills unlock infinite doors you didn't know existed
• Mastery is the key that unlocks infinite possibilities

Project selection as a learnable skill

• Most people don't even think in terms of "project selection"
• People think about industries and careers, not the atomic unit of a project
• Very few people know how to pick good projects or good partners
• Can be learned if you're intentional about it
• Requires paying attention and being deliberate

The judgment vs. time tradeoff

• When young: throw time at problems because judgment is weak
• As you get older: less time (kids, responsibilities, energy)
• Your judgment must make up for lack of time you're willing to invest
• Focus shifts from hours worked to quality of decisions made

The interest flywheel vs. forced effort

• With genuine interest: enjoy it → do it constantly → get really good → get results → flywheel accelerates
• Without interest: only work when motivated/willpower forces you → only get so-so at it → get so-so results → no flywheel

Practical application

• Don't just work hard on anything - be intentional about what you choose
• Focus on skill building during the hard work
• Choose projects where you can apply skills you're naturally interested in developing
• The skills transfer to better projects later when you make better selections