How to fail at almost everything and still win big
by Scott Adams · first published 2013
83% recommend15% neutral2% critical
Why HN recommends it
Practical, down-to-earth advice on success: favor systems and habits over goals, build a talent stack of combined skills, and set yourself up for luck. Suits people wanting self-improvement without fluff.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"Dilbert creator Scott Adams offers his most personal book ever -- a funny memoir of his many failures and what they eventually taught him about success. How do you go from hapless office worker to world-famous cartoonist and bestselling author in just a few years? No career guide can answer that, and not even Scott Adams (who actually did it) can give you a road map that works for everyone. But there's a lot to learn from his personal story, and a lot of humor along the way. In How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, Adams admits that he failed at just about everything he's tried,
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…the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss Graphic novels ("comics"): * 'Watchmen' by Alan Moore * 'Promethea' by Alan Moore (actually I'm halfway through this, and loving every bit of it) Special mentions: * 'How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big' by Scott Adams - I only gave this a 4-star rating on Goodreads when I finished it, but I'm finding that I'm usefully applying more and more of the things I learnt from this book as the months go by.…
on “Ask HN: What are the best books you've read in the past year?” ↗I am curious what others have as a favorite audio book(s). Right now I am enjoying How to Fail at Almost Everything and still Win Big by Scott Adams. Anything You Want by Derek Sivers has been great. Linchpin by Seth Godin was suggested by a friend across the Atlantic and it turned out to be really good. On Writing Well by William…
on “Ask HN: What is your favorite audio book?” ↗How To Fail At Almost Everything And Still Win Big - Scott Adams (2013) One of my favorite quotes: “I put myself in a position where luck was more likely to happen. I tried a lot of different ventures, stayed optimistic, put in the energy, prepared myself…
on “Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?” ↗…Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker * Masters of Doom, by David Kushner * What Doesn't Kill Us, by Scott Carney * Bad Blood, by John Carreyrou * The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondō * How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, by Scott Adams
on “Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?” ↗How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big -- Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame) Super Rich -- Russell Simmons (hip-hop magnate) Choose Yourself -- James Altucher Edit: forgot about Walt Isaacson's bio of Steve Jobs
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2013?” ↗I like to think of business success in light of one of my favorite quotes: "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Seneca Scott Adams' book "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big" also touches on this, suggesting that skill + hard work don't automatically result in success (there certainly are factors beyond our control), but it's a lottery that you can keep playing over and over…
on “Don’t Build a Billion-Dollar Business” ↗…Aurelius) - Level up your life: how to unlock adventure and happiness by becoming the hero of your own story - the six pillars of self-esteem - so good they can’t ignore you - the power of habit - how to fail at almost everything and still win big Business: - soft sell: the new art of selling - essentialism: the disciplined pursuit of less - the magic of thinking big - everything is negotiable - making things happen - lean customer development…
on “Ask HN: Book Recommendations?” ↗Read or listen to the book How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams. He takes a systems approach over a goal approach. When you try to build a side project or startup, even if you fail, you should still have built a set of skills to help you in your…
on “Ask HN: Make money as a skilled developer? (Please help)” ↗The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli The 48 Rules of Power - Robert Greene Fooled By Randomness - Nassim Nicholas Taleb How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big - Scott Adams Basic Economics - Thomas Sowell The World Is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman The Penguin History of the World: Sixth Edition - J. M. Roberts and Odd Arne Westad
on “Ask HN: Which book helped you understand the world?” ↗Scott Adams book "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big" touches on a similar theme, "systems vs goals". Have a system that takes willpower out of the equation - so you can do simple repetitive tasks everyday, to achieve big things over time. A goal might…
on “The unreasonable effectiveness of just showing up everyday” ↗It seems like the author was influenced by Scott Adams, he talks about a lot of this stuff in his book "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big". If this article intrigued you, I recommend the book. It's a very down to earth and practical look at how to be successful.
on “Life is a game, this is your strategy guide” ↗How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, by Scott Adams. Highly recommended, and I still have half the book left.
on “Ask HN: What is HN reading?” ↗Maybe only tangentially related, but I'm in the middle of reading Scott Adams' book "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big" [0] and I've been really enjoying it so far. He's got some good unconventional advice about systems over goals, managing time and energy, and acquiring many skills to bolster your chances of success,…
on “Dilbert: Startup idea” ↗I've not seen better advice than in Scott Adams' How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big[1] [1]http://amzn.to/2952RAD
on “Extreme Methods for Breaking Bad Habits” ↗Creativity, Inc. - Ed Catmull. How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big - Scott Adams Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed - Ben Rich Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books?” ↗