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Smartcuts

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Smartcuts

How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success

HarperBusiness,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

How today’s greatest entrepreneurs used “smartcuts” to hack their way to the top.

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

The Horatio Alger myth is so embedded in the American psyche that people tend to ignore the fact that it’s now obsolete. A laborious rung-by-rung climb up the career ladder, fueled by hard work and belief in convention, is an outdated model that runs counter to innovation and entrepreneurship. Journalist Shane Snow says you can make the most of the technological advances that enable innovative people to accomplish great things faster than ever by using what he calls “smartcuts.” The stories he tells to explain his smartcuts tactics are engaging, though his main points sometimes take a backseat to his examples. getAbstract recommends this intelligent, rebellious manifesto – which doesn’t advocate thinking-outside-the-box, but calls for throwing away the box altogether – to business students, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and anyone feeling stuck in his or her career and wanting to make a great leap forward.

Summary

Real-Life Warp Pipes

In 2007, a college student and accomplished video gamer named Nathan Parkinson trounced the world record of 33 minutes, 24 seconds by finishing a game of Super Mario Bros. in just under seven minutes. His knowledge of Warp Pipes – secret avenues that let players skip levels – enabled him to finish the game in one-fifth of the record time. Today’s innovators do the same; they mix creative thinking with moxie to bypass levels and succeed.

It took American tycoon John D. Rockefeller 46 years to become a billionaire. Microsoft founder Bill Gates did it in 12 years; Andrew Mason of Groupon in only two. Advances in technology and communication decrease the time it takes to achieve your dreams and make a fortune. In spite of this, most companies stick to antiquated innovation and career-building models. People still believe that progress follows a prescribed route over decades or even generations.

Some of the world’s greatest innovators and entrepreneurs are “lateral thinkers.” Lateral thinking lets you approach a problem from a different angle to find a creative solution. It shortens the time it takes to succeed by skipping unnecessary stages, ...

About the Author

Shane Snow is a technology journalist whose writing credits include Wired, Fast Company and the Washington Post. He is the co-founder and COO of Contently Inc.

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