如何做出伟大成就

How to Do Great Work (Paul Graham)如何做出伟大成就（保罗·格雷厄姆）

If you wanted to choose a founder for a project that would do great work, what would they look like?如果你想为某个能做出伟大成就的项目挑选一位创始人，他们应该是什么样的？

The first step is to decide what to work on.第一步是决定要做什么。

The work you choose should have three qualities: it has to be something you have a natural aptitude for, that you have a deep interest in, and that offers scope to do great work.你选择的工作应该具备三个品质：你天然擅长、有浓厚兴趣，并且有做出伟大成就的空间。

If you're not sure what to work on, guess. But choose something and get started.如果你不确定要做什么，那就去猜。但选定一件事，然后立刻开始。

You'll probably guess wrong, but that's okay. It's hard to know what something is like until you try it.你大概率会猜错，但这没关系。在亲自尝试之前，你很难知道一件事究竟是什么样的。

Develop a habit of working on your own projects.养成为自己的项目工作的习惯。

Don't let "work" mean something other people tell you to do.不要让“工作”变成别人吩咐你去做的事情。

If you do great work, it will probably be on a project of your own.如果你做出了伟大的成就，那大概率会是在你自己的项目上。

It might be within some organization, but it will be something you're driving, not just executing.它可能某个组织内部，但它一定是由你亲自驱动的，而不仅仅是在执行。

What should you work on? Whatever you're excessively curious about.你该研究什么？任何能引发你过度好奇心的事情。

Notice the word "excessively." Curiosity that will lead to great work is not mild.注意“过度”这个词。能导向伟大成就的好奇心绝非温和不火。

It's a strange, obsessive thing.它是一种奇特的、近乎执念的存在。

Four steps: Choose a field, learn enough to get to the frontier, notice gaps, and build what should be there.四个步骤：选择一个领域，学习足够的知识到达前沿，发现其中的空白，然后去构建应该存在的东西。

This sounds simple, but it's the recipe for almost every great thing ever done.这听起来很简单，但这几乎是过去所有伟大成就的通用公式。

Getting to the frontier takes time. You have to learn a lot before you reach the edge of human knowledge.到达前沿需要时间。在触及人类知识的边界之前，你必须学习大量的知识。

Once you get there, notice the gaps.一旦你到达那里，去敏锐地发现空白。

These are the things that are missing, or wrong, or could be done much better.这些空白就是那些缺失的、错误的、或者可以做得好得多的事情。

This takes a kind of aggressive curiosity. You have to actively look for what's broken or missing.这需要一种带有攻击性的好奇心。你必须主动去寻找那些破损或缺失的东西。

When you find a gap, fill it. Build the thing that should be there.当你发现空白时，填补它。去构建那个本该存在的东西。

Great work happens when you take a small idea seriously and follow where it leads.当你认真对待一个微小的想法，并跟随它的引领一路探索时，伟大的成就就会发生。

Most big things started small. Don't be discouraged if your idea seems minor at first.大多数伟大的事业都是从小处起步的。如果你的想法最初看起来很微不足道，不要气馁。

If it leads to interesting problems, keep going.如果它能引向有趣的问题，就继续走下去。

Work super hard.拼尽全力地工作。

It's hard to do great work without working very hard.不付出极大的努力，很难做出伟大的成就。

It doesn't feel like work if you're genuinely interested in it.如果你对其抱有真挚的兴趣，它就不再感觉像是枯燥的工作。

It feels like solving a puzzle, or playing a game.它感觉更像是在解开一道谜题，或者在玩一场游戏。

Always be working on something.永远保持在做某件事的状态。

Don't spend too much time planning. Start building, writing, or creating.不要把过多时间花在计划上。开始构建、写作或创造吧。

The best way to figure out what to do is by doing things.搞清楚该做什么的最佳方式，就是去亲自做事情。

Make sure you're surrounded by great people.确保你的身边围绕着杰出的人。

The people around you will influence what you find interesting and how hard you work.你身边的群体，会潜移默化地影响你对什么感兴趣，以及你有多努力。

Find people who are ambitious, curious, and kind.去寻找那些雄心勃勃、充满好奇心且内心善良的人。

Avoid cynical people. Cynicism is easy and comfortable, but it produces nothing.远离犬儒主义者。犬儒和冷嘲热讽很容易也令人舒适，但它创造不出任何东西。

Be dangerously ambitious.保持一种甚至有些危险的野心。

Don't settle for small, incremental improvements. Aim for something transformative.不要满足于小打小闹的微小改良。去追求具有变革意义的事情。

Even if you fail, you will have learned more and gone further than if you aimed small.哪怕最终失败了，相比于设定微小的目标，你也会学到更多、走得更远。

Never give up on your curiosity.永远不要放弃你的好奇心。

It's the ultimate engine of all great work.它是所有伟大成就的终极引擎。