HN Explorer

Ask HN: Should I Be Famous?

7 points by nostrapollo ↗ HN
Internally I'm highly conflicted about whether fame is an important tool for creating a better world. I don't think publicity about entrepreneurs is particularly truthful, leading me to think that it shouldn't exist. But I can't deny the effectiveness of self-promotion as a means to garner influence and attention, which could be used for good things.

Should entrepreneurs be self-promoting through articles and 'appearances' on things like podcasts/panels etc. despite the disingenuous nature of it?

11 comments

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PragmaticPulp
> I don't think publicity about entrepreneurs is particularly truthful, leading me to think that it shouldn't exist.

Your post is heavily cynical. If you have a preconceived idea of what's "right", a pessimistic assumption about everyone's motives, and strict ideas about what people should or shouldn't be doing, you're always going to be disappointed.

> Should entrepreneurs be self-promoting through articles and 'appearances' on things like podcasts/panels etc. despite the disingenuous nature of it?

What's your goal? If you're trying to build a company or increase sales of your product, then "self-promotion" is missing the mark. You should be promoting the company or product.

It's a common mistake for first-time entrepreneurs to think they're on the track to becoming famous, and then go off in the weeds with conferences, meetups, podcasts, and other things that detract from their real work. People can see right through self-promotion.

On the other hand, if you have genuinely helpful information to offer to the world then conference talks, podcast interviews, and blog posts can be helpful for both you and the product. People are receptive to someone who is genuinely trying to provide advice. Just make sure you've covered your bases at the business before you go off doing promotional activities.

nostrapollo
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. Your comment about cynism sparked a certain honesty - I'm probably being too pessimistic about publicity. I suppose it's also linked to personal ego and wishful thinking on the recognition front.

PS thanks for being a prolific contributor to hacker news!

askafriend
If you treat it as a goal, and not as a side-effect of doing something great (for various definitions of "great") - you'll have a bad time.
barrenko
@naval (I know, I know) has something like: "If you secretly despise wealth, it will elude you." I have trouble with stuff like that and believe it 99%.
phaus
I'm not sure I get the purpose of this quote. Even if you don't despise wealth there's close to a 100% chance that it will elude you.
e1g
We like to see ourselves as good people doing good deeds. Nazis were bad, I would never do what they did - even if they won, and ruled the world. I am ethical and do what is right. Same with office politics, religion, donations etc - I will move towards/away what I evaluate as good/bad.

If I see wealth as corrupt evil and middle-class as a wholesome ethical alternative, I will strongly resist everything that creates wealth to reinforce my self-image and world view. If I see money as a powerful positive lever in life, I will relentlessly try to create a profitable venture because that re-inforces my positive self-image. It doesn't guarantee I will become wealthy, but not doing this guarantees I won't.

burntoutfire
IMO, as long as you're presenting yourself in a honest and upright manner, there's nothing wrong with trying to gain recognition. Of course, the difficulty is that you will be likely drowned out by people who are dishonest - competition for attention is effectively a race to the bottom (with rare exceptions such as John Carmack, where his skill and achievement level are so high that he does not need to lie and embelish to actually astonish people). But, if you partake, you add to the cesspool, which contradicts your original goal of making the world a better place.
runjake
I think it's a personal decision. That said, with fame, once you attain it, you can't go back to the old.

Sure you can fade out of tech headlines, but there's still a whole set of baggage and residuals (web archives, ego, etc) that comes with all of that.

e1g
"People who want to be rich and famous should try being rich first."

Tim Ferris recently had an excellent essay[1] on the downside of fame, including issues with dating, friendships, travel, death threats, family impact, and questionable myths that you can have an impact based on fame alone. It seems like if you want to influence outcomes on a large scale, controlling large piles money remains significantly better than being famous.

[1]https://tim.blog/2020/02/02/reasons-to-not-become-famous/