Comments on: What Makes Me an Expert http://securitypie.com/what-makes-me-an-expert/ The ramblings of three security curmudgeons Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:12:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: assafl http://securitypie.com/what-makes-me-an-expert/comment-page-1/#comment-32 assafl Sat, 04 Oct 2008 21:25:23 +0000 http://securitypie.com/?p=180#comment-32 Failure is critical to success. But IMHO, a good expert is one that who's experience in failures and successes exceeds their own experience. I think that everyone has their success/failure stories which may resonate around a campfire. But a good expert can tell you not just how their success/failure worked out but also how twenty others had worked/failed, and how this experienced has been shifting over the years. My best influencers were people like lawyers (the good ones, not the lamers), who have seen 10's or 100's of other companies. Some of the investment bankers, who were able to detail what success/failure looks like and even our previous CFO, who had exited 3 other companies before us. Take each of their expert advice where it fits, and where it helps you bring the situation in focus. Lastly, the least useful experts were the ones who brought in their own limited experience. Like the ex-Sales VP who's last job was in '99 and still lives in a world of bubbles. Sure he had his stories of success and failure, but they were utterly useless all throughout 2001-2003. Failure is critical to success. But IMHO, a good expert is one that who’s experience in failures and successes exceeds their own experience.

I think that everyone has their success/failure stories which may resonate around a campfire. But a good expert can tell you not just how their success/failure worked out but also how twenty others had worked/failed, and how this experienced has been shifting over the years.

My best influencers were people like lawyers (the good ones, not the lamers), who have seen 10’s or 100’s of other companies. Some of the investment bankers, who were able to detail what success/failure looks like and even our previous CFO, who had exited 3 other companies before us.

Take each of their expert advice where it fits, and where it helps you bring the situation in focus.

Lastly, the least useful experts were the ones who brought in their own limited experience. Like the ex-Sales VP who’s last job was in ‘99 and still lives in a world of bubbles. Sure he had his stories of success and failure, but they were utterly useless all throughout 2001-2003.

]]>