Reaching New Heights according to Jonas Bonér the creator of Akka

So, not really a Linux thing in my normal vein here, but found this really thought provoking and worth sharing IMHO.  In response to the question, "What are your top tips to reach new heights in tech today?" on Twitter, Jonas Bonér (@jboner), the creator of Akka, responded as follows:

1. Work hard at minimizing your ego & attachment to identity.
2. Learn deliberately, seek out weaknesses & work hard at them.
3. Eliminate bad habits, replace with good, one at a time.
4. Read a lot, foundational stuff, not just the latest hyped thing.
5. Allocate time for deep work, cut distractions, protect it at all costs.
6. Improve your ability to make good decisions, learn to apply metal models, be aware of your cognitive biases, keep a decision journal.
7. Try to always be the dumbest person in the room.
8. Trust your intuition, if you have a great idea then most people (including yourself) will tell you it's stupid/waste of time/impossible.
9. Don't be afraid of failure, pain is useful data, accept & recalibrate.
10. Just do the work, how you do anything is how you do everything.

I thought this a very solid list and, after some consideration, I believe the most powerful (and most difficult) of the above is #7 - being the dumbest person in the room.  More challenging to be certain, but put in that place most of us will rise, grow, and learn more at greater speed in such a setting.

So, maybe put these in the back of your brain as we start off in 2020, go forth and be awesome!

FIN