In Malcolm Gladwell’s Number 1 best seller, Outliers: The Story of Success, Gladwell examines the factors that contribute to high levels of success. Whilst many factors, including birth date, can play a part in success, it is the 10,000 hours theory that is perhaps the key to achieving success either personally or within business.
By delving into the backgrounds of Bill Gates and Paul Allen from Microsoft and The Beatles, Gladwell uses statistical analysis and interviews to put forward the point that in many cases it is not natural talent that is important, rather the opportunity to practice your craft repeatedly over many years for the equivalent of 10,000 hours. The constant practice, be it computer programming in the case of the Microsoft founders or the early days of The Beatles playing gigs to small groups of people in Hamburg, plays a major role in success.
A fascinating book that you will want to read again.