https://www.quora.com/What-were-some-of-the-biggest-surprises-good-or-bad-when-you-founded-a-startup/answer/Nathan-Resnick-1?srid=4qnf

How do I know if someone is smart or not?

Hugo Ferreira Garcia, works at FuturesLab

Updated Jul 10

Imagine this situation:

2 individuals are having a conversation. One of them is talking very confidently about a certain topic with a complex vocabulary, making curious relations that the other seems to be missing.

the other is just there listening and making a huge effort to understand. Every now and then, he makes a question and asks the explainer about something he said, or he rephrases or reframes what he heard to see if he is understanding correctly. He might even ask how did the explainer come to that conclusion?

The explainer might smile with a condescending look, throw a few new words, and recall his experience or titles. He will probably use expressions like “can you understand?”.
He might also throw some historical facts or political positions in the middle, and conclude ideas with a “trust me. I Know”.

And the listener, keeps going back and forward on what he says trying to make sense.

Now, let me be very clear. The explainer is an idiot repeating some ideas that he heard in college or read on Facebook. Every idiot can sound smart, just by saying something smart.

Smart people, on the other hand are always trying to learn something new. They weren’t born smart, they are just addicted to learning. 
Being smart is the ability to learn, question and structure knowledge in way to create even more knowledge.

So, it´s harder do detect smartness than the lack of it. But if you ask a smart person something about his field in a way he is not expecting, he will be entertained by the challenged and will try to explain in your language.
This doesn’t mean there aren’t complex words. A medical doctor will know a lot of complex names for bacterias, virus, bocy components and processes, but a smart doctor will be able to break everything down in schematics, and answer your questions in a clear way.

On the other hand, an idiot when confronted with questions will avoid, laugh or even burst into anger.

When you see someone breaking knowledge apart, questioning, reframing and reformulating his or other’s ideas, that is when you know someone is really smart.

What is the simplest successful business idea you have ever heard?

Jaco Marais, Serial Entrepreneur (2008-present)

Answered Jun 19

Doesn’t get Simpler Than This…

I was listening to Robert Kiyosaki’s podcast the other day and he was interviewing Guy Kawasaki former Apple employee and overall legendary entrepreneur and he said something so simple , but so powerful.

He said: Make it and Sell it.

That right there is the simplest successful business idea ever and it is relevant to EVERY business.

Before you start to work on how you are going to segment your lists and implement radical new funnels and marketing strategies think of what Guy said.

Make it: You need a product and a good one. That is your first step, without a product of some sort you have nothing.

Sell it: You need to sell a lot of it to be successful. Forget about waiting to get a million dollars in funding before you start to sell. Hit the pavement (virtual or real) and sell one a day if that is all you can muster. You will be a lot closer to your dream if you do that than waiting for everything to be perfect.

Those two phrases are so simple , but that is the reason why so many people fail. They don’t have a good product and they don’t want to do the “hustle” sell.

Next time a business venture is not getting off the ground, check in with these two factors first and I think you will find your problem.

You can learn more about effective selling and marketing in this book: Expert Secrets. I really feel that all entrepreneurs should read this book, whether you are a seasoned businessman or ready to jump into the business world for the first time.

Have you ever lost any respect for someone instantly?

Diana Lucas, Business Owner (1998-present)

Updated Jul 10

Yes.

My son briefly dated a girl for about a week when he was around 17. The girl was 15.

Her mom came to drop her daughter off at our house as I was going to take them somewhere, a movie or something, I think.

This was my first meeting with her mother. She proceeded to get out of the car and we started talking pleasantly. She then told me that she can tell ‘worthwhile’, ‘decent’ people by their vehicles and houses. If they don’t have any damage on their vehicles and their yards are pristine and perfect then they are good people. She was standing right behind my car, which had a large scratch across one back taillight and a little bit of damage on the body after I’d accidentally backed into our own mailbox two days after moving into our home. We were standing in my driveway and my yard wasn't weeded, it needed bark, and the lawn needed to be cut. Instead of working on my yard, I’d spent most of that summer volunteering at my son’s school helping with the music program, which her daughter was also in, including spending every day at band camp feeding those students during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She knew this too, and never volunteered to help.

Any shred of respect I had for this woman evaporated in that moment.

Their flirting lasted just a short while because her mother kept insulting my son, insisting he was not going anywhere in life and destined to be a loser with no job and that he probably just wanted her daughter for sex. She couldn’t have been farther off the mark. My son broke it off because the girl acted so immaturely, he couldn’t even bring himself to kiss her as he said it felt like dating his own younger sister due to her behavior. He also didn’t like her mother at all.

Cut to several years later and the mother caught her daughter and her then boyfriend in flagrante. She ended up getting pregnant as a teen and I think now has two children.

EDIT: The daughter was caught with her own boyfriend, not her mother’s boyfriend, to clarify for someone who commented. I’m glad it didn’t get that weird….

https://www.quora.com/What-is-something-that-you-do-regularly-but-is-pointless

What happens on TV all the time, but never happens in real life?

Bee Halence

Answered Jul 1

Locker Conversations

You know, these things:

In between classes, in TV shows, characters stop by their lockers for a chat with their friends. This is seemingly where A LOT of drama happens. But in real life? No.

Most high school students rarely use their lockers; they just carry their things around in their backpacks. Lockers are often assigned to students in hopes that they will be used daily, but in reality they supply a storage unit for rarely used textbooks and school supplies. Also, students usually have around five minutes between their classes, so there isn’t enough time to casually chat with their friends outside of their lockers!

Another thing, ALL CHARACTERS HAVE TOP LOCKERS. Wow! By chance, all the main characters were all lucky enough to be assigned top row lockers? Never irl lol.

Why don’t I feel motivated and energetic to learn new things?

Loy Machedo, Founder & CEO (2017-present)

Updated Jul 16

Someone has a gun to the head of the one you love the most - and asks you to do 100 push ups - do you think you will give any excuses?

Your child has just had a very serious accident and is bleeding in your arms - would you give any excuses not to take the child to the hospital?

There is a king cobra coming slithering fast in your direction. Would you be yawning and feeling tired?

Finally, you have a dangerous gangster holding your fingers under a massive meat chopping cleaver and tells you - if you do not read a book of 300 pages within 24 hours - you will lose all 10 of your fingers - would you cite any reasons not to read the book?

In as much as these examples are extreme - the answers are very predictable. And they also answer your question.

You asked why you don’t feel motivated and energetic to learn anything new?

Simple.

Because you are in a happy place and in your comfort-zone.

However, if you you didn’t have any money for survival, you didn’t have any food to eat, you didn’t have any place to stay and you didn’t have anyone to look after you - would you still feel lazy and lethargic?

I doubt.

Hunger of the stomach, thirst for the body, the urge to satisfy basic human needs drives human beings to do extraordinary things.

It is only when you do not have those blessings you take so for granted - is when you will automatically be motivated and energetic to not only learn new things - but to survive like a winner.

Why should I not buy an iPhone?

George Tavkhelidze, Tech / Gaming Industry Savvy

Updated Wed

This is an unbiased answer, I, myself use an iPhone.

If you are someone who’s more into controlling every single detail in device, than you shouldn’t probably buy an iPhone.

iPhone is designed to be simple to use, and only way of doing it was to lock all the excessive options far away from ordinary users. So, in case you want to use a phone like you use a Windows PC, then don’t.

Why you shouldn’t buy an iPhone.

You will need iTunes to transfer media from PC to iPhone

iTunes is very locked down software. It doesn’t even accept lossless .Flac file types.

Poor file management options. You can’t move files around freely like on Android.

No wireless charging

No “Fast Charging” option

iOS is impossible to multitask in - So, no to Facebook chat heads and split-screens.

iOS programs stop when you cease using them, while it doesn’t drain the battery, if you kill all the apps in task manager, and then reopen again - it will take more time.

What are the early signs of cancer?

Stephen Scheppele, former High Voltage Lineman at International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (1969-2009)

Answered Jun 20

I can tell you this, do NOT expect your doctor to figure it out. My wife died from lung cancer 4 years ago today, June 19, 2013. It all started in 2004 with her complaining of being tired and aching all over in. Her doctor told her she had fibromyalgia and prescribed a Rx and some pain meds. My wife complained to her doctor for two years that there was something else wrong and was given a parade of drugs for what turned out to be many misdiagnoses. My wife smoked about a pack of cigarettes a day and had since she was 15. Her doctor was well aware of this and the history of cancer in her family, yet a simple chest x-ray was never ordered. Instead, after two years, she sent her to several "specialists". The heart doctor took a chest x-ray and spotted the cancer right away - it was Stage 4 already. He sent us to a lung "specialist" and the fight was on. ALL SMOKERS should have an annual chest x-ray!!! Let me change that - ALL SMOKERS should QUIT SMOKING!!! If you had to watch someone die of lung cancer, struggling for breath until you lose consciousness and finally panting for hours until your heart explodes under the strain, you never smoke again.

ALWAYS listen to what your body is telling you and don't be afraid to question your doctors "opinion/diagnosis". After all, they are all just "practicing" medicine and many times they get it wrong. They're over worked with too many patients and have been trained to believe in the power of drugs. Take as few drugs as possible. The list of side effects on a simple aspirin alone is staggering! If you're taking 2, 3, 4, or even more drugs, there is NO WAY anyone can tell you what they combine into inside the human body AND everyone's body is different!

I'm not saying to not consult a doctor, just be an informed patient and do some research yourself. After all, if you're reading this you probably have access to more information than any generation before us. Not all information is useful and some is outright lies, but be a participant in your life and your health!

What is the best products, life hacks or things that makes life easier and better?

Natalie Engelbrecht, 20 yrs + psychotherapist

Answered Jun 20

What is the best products, life hacks or things that makes life easier and better?

Source:[1]

When making a choice ‘4’ is the magic number.

Research shows that when we are given too many choices it makes us freeze. One example that comes to mind is restaurant that I went to recently—with over 60 burger’s to choose from. As I was reviewing the menu I could feel my stress rising:

Which burger should I choose?

Oh My Gosh—do I have to read a novel to order?

Okay, this one sounds good.

Wait that one sounds good too.

And on and on.

There is research that shows that four options at a time is the maximum number we can consider and still make a choice[2]. Thus in order to make effective decision, give yourself a few options at a time. This will allows you time to consider your choices before moving onto a new set of options.