GOOD VS GREAT
“standard path = good. breaking rules = great. the greats don't follow lessons.”
The Lesson
To be really good: take lessons, practice, do what you're taught. To be great: do something different. The best drummers (Bonham, Ringo, Ginger Baker) don't do standard patterns. They violate what's taught. The best tennis players use customized rackets you can't buy. Scott didn't study cartooning formally. The quirks became his style. Elvis refused voice lessons to preserve his uniqueness. Pattern: the standard path produces competence; greatness requires developing something the teachers don't teach. If you want to be one of the greats, at some point you have to break away.
Real-World Example
A founder builds a SaaS the 'right' way: standard tech stack, conventional pricing, typical marketing. They're good, not great. A competitor breaks conventions: unusual pricing model, counterintuitive positioning, tech choices that seem 'wrong.' That competitor becomes the category leader. The standard path is safe; the unique path creates greatness.
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