1. You follow the master, in the hope of becoming a master, but not a
copy of the master. The apprentice-journeyman-master mindset makes
us think what you learn and practice is what the master does, how
they do it, how they get better at their trade, and even how they
live. Wrong. In this Century, you don't get to be someone's
apprentice for very long. Even if you start by doing what your
mentor teaches you to do, in a few years you will likely be doing
something related but completely different; in a decade you are
likely to end up in another industry. Not to mention that the master
inspiring you could be doing something you may never do in your
life. You should learn from the master at a more meta level, on how
they get better in *a* trade, how they evaluate *a piece of work*,
how they build *a philosophy* from practices and experiences, and
how they become better and better in *a* industry. Then you think,
and develop your *own approaches* to life and work.
2. It is sometimes admirable to pick the road less travelled. But it
can be a sign of cowardice instead of courage. It is only noble when
people avoid what you are going to do because it is significant, but
difficult, and requires tradeoffs or sacrifice. It is cowardice if
you think it is a good idea when you plunge in, only to find later
that many people are already doing it because it is a good idea, and
then you pivot to avoid competition. You should be grateful if you
can pick up a few frenemies on your journey, because they will be
your rival, companions and teachers, and they are proof that what
you are going to do is worth it. If you run away from competition
you also run away from significance.
