Smartcuts audiobook cover - How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success

Smartcuts

How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success

Shane Snow

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Categories:
EntrepreneurshipMotivation & Inspiration

If You're Curious About These Questions...

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Key Takeaways from Smartcuts

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Mind Map

Smartcuts
Hacking the Ladder+
Mentorship+
Feedback & Failure+
Leveraging Platforms+
Patterns & Trends+
Superconnectors+
Momentum+
Simplicity & Disruption+
10x Thinking+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9
According to the text, what is the primary flaw in climbing the traditional career ladder step by step?
  • A. It prevents you from building a strong network of influential mentors.
  • B. It assumes success is purely about working hard, rather than working smart through lateral thinking.
  • C. Most traditional ladders are controlled by gatekeepers who actively block your progress.
  • D. It inevitably leads to burnout before you can reach an executive position.
Question 2 of 9
What did psychologist Christina Underhill's study reveal about mentorship?
  • A. Mentors are only effective if they work in the exact same industry as the mentee.
  • B. Structured, formal mentorship programs yield higher salaries than informal ones.
  • C. Mentorship is most effective when the mentor charges a fee, ensuring mutual commitment.
  • D. Informal mentoring relationships that arise naturally bring much more success than formal programs.
Question 3 of 9
Why do experts generally prefer negative feedback over positive feedback?
  • A. It builds emotional resilience and mental toughness for future failures.
  • B. It directs them toward specific weaknesses in their work that they can actively improve.
  • C. It lowers the expectations of their audience, making future success easier to achieve.
  • D. It helps them switch off the part of their brain associated with creativity.
Question 4 of 9
How did the Finnish public education system utilize the concept of 'platforms' in the 1990s?
  • A. They scrapped their entire old system to build a completely new digital platform from scratch.
  • B. They outsourced their teaching methods to private technology companies.
  • C. They reworked their existing education system into a super-education platform rather than reinventing the wheel.
  • D. They adopted the American education system's platform to improve global test scores.
Question 5 of 9
What is the main reason you need an in-depth understanding of your industry's codes and patterns?
  • A. So you can spot potential changes and identify new, profitable opportunities or 'waves'.
  • B. To ensure you can copy the exact strategies of your most successful competitors.
  • C. Because investors will only fund experts with decades of traditional experience in the field.
  • D. To avoid having to use disruptive innovation or 10x thinking.
Question 6 of 9
What is the most effective way to engage 'superconnectors' to spread the word about your product?
  • A. Pay them a large upfront fee for advertising on their social media channels.
  • B. Figure out what they truly value and want, creating a relationship that benefits both sides.
  • C. Send them daily updates about your product's development to ensure they don't forget you.
  • D. Challenge their existing ideas publicly to prove your product's superiority.
Question 7 of 9
What lesson about momentum can be learned from Michelle Phan's breakthrough success with her Lady Gaga makeup tutorial?
  • A. Success comes to those who spend the most money on high-quality video production.
  • B. You must invent a completely new product format to go viral.
  • C. Early successes and good timing should be used as a springboard to harness and maintain momentum.
  • D. Viral success is purely accidental and cannot be systematically capitalized upon.
Question 8 of 9
According to the concept of simplifying daily routines, why did Steve Jobs famously own a dozen black turtlenecks?
  • A. To create a recognizable personal brand that appealed to tech investors.
  • B. To support his minimalist design philosophy for Apple products.
  • C. To demonstrate disruptive innovation in the fashion industry.
  • D. To avoid depleting his willpower and creativity on trivial decisions like what to wear.
Question 9 of 9
According to Astro Teller, why might aiming to make something ten times (10x) better be more effective than aiming for a 10 percent improvement?
  • A. 10x goals require less capital investment than 10 percent improvements.
  • B. It forces you to throw out old assumptions and start from scratch rather than making small, linear adjustments.
  • C. It allows you to utilize existing technology without taking big risks.
  • D. 10 percent improvements usually face stricter government and industry regulations.

Smartcuts — Full Chapter Overview

Smartcuts Summary & Overview

Smartcuts (2014) is about the secrets used by innovative companies and bright minds to achieve big successes in the shortest possible time. It outlines the reasons why unconventional methods are much more powerful than traditional ones in today's business world, and what you can do to take advantage of them.

Who Should Listen to Smartcuts?

  • Entrepreneurs
  • Anyone interested in productivity or innovation

About the Author: Shane Snow

Shane Snow is an award-winning journalist whose work has been featured in Wired, Fast Company and the New Yorker. He co-founded the company Contently and serves on the Contently Foundation Board for Investigative Journalism.

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