So Good They Can’t Ignore You – being a craftsman

A Deep Dive into the Craftsman Mindset

In today’s world, the mantra “follow your passion” is often touted as the key to a fulfilling career. However, Carl Newport’s book, “So Good They Can’t Ignore You,” challenges this conventional wisdom and offers a compelling alternative: the craftsman mindset.

Passion Mindset vs. Craftsman Mindset

Many people believe that passion is the number one condition for happy and meaningful work. Newport argues that this belief is overrated and doesn’t guarantee financial stability. He provides examples such as a college student aspiring to be a professional blogger but failing to secure enough income, or a banker quitting to become a farmer but struggling financially.

Instead of the passion mindset, Newport proposes the craftsman mindset. This approach focuses on developing rare and valuable skills, which he refers to as “career capital.” The idea is that the quality of great work is rare and valuable, encompassing elements like control, creativity, and meaning. To achieve these qualities, one must accumulate career capital—skills that others are willing to pay for.

The Craftsman Mindset in Detail

Newport outlines several key points about the craftsman mindset:

1. Quality of Great Work: Great work is characterized by control, creativity, and meaning.
2. Career Capital: This is the collection of valuable skills that can be exchanged for the qualities of great work.
3. Pitfalls:
   • Asking for control prematurely, without sufficient career capital.
   • Employers preventing you from gaining control, even if you have enough career capital.
4. Navigating Control: The Law of Financial Viability suggests that money is a neutral indicator of value. If someone is willing to pay you for your work while giving you greater control, it indicates you have the right amount of career capital.

The goal is to use your career capital to gain valuable attributes like control, creativity, and independence.

Meaning and Mission

Another crucial element of great work is having a sense of meaning or mission. Newport argues that meaning doesn’t come from pure passion but from the “adjacent possible”—the opportunities that arise when you’re at the cutting edge of your field. To identify your mission, you need to:

1. Be at the Cutting Edge: A lot of work is required to reach this point.
2. Launch Successful Projects: This involves making “small bets”—small time investments to explore options. This mindset is shared by successful individuals like Jeff Bezos.
3. Be Remarkable: A successful project should stand out from the crowd. Newport borrows the idea of a “purple cow” from Seth Godin, which signifies something remarkable and unique.

Conclusion

“So Good They Can’t Ignore You” offers a refreshing perspective on career development. By focusing on skill acquisition and the craftsman mindset, Newport provides a practical roadmap for achieving meaningful and financially stable work. Instead of chasing passion, invest in building valuable skills and let your passion find you through mastery and control.