# 對“創業、當老板”的不切實際的幻想常常來自于“關注焦點單一” 第一課里提到很多人對創業的看法其實是不切實際的，自己當老板并沒有人們想象中的那么光鮮。這好像顯而易見啊，可是為什么那么多人想不明白呢？ 賈平凹先生在他的散文《老西安》里講過一個段子： > （許多年前）兩個西安南郊的年輕人站在“大芳”照相館櫥窗前，看著蔣介石的巨照聊天。 > > 其中一個說：蔣委員長不知道一天吃的什么飯，肯定是頓頓撈一碗干面，油潑的辣子調得紅紅的。 > > 另一個說：我要當了蔣委員長，全村的糞都要是我的，誰也不能拾。 曹操勸留關羽，當時曹丞相府上實際情況究竟什么樣，當時究竟是怎么說的，我們沒辦法知道，但可以想象。河南戲里是這樣唱的： > ……頓頓飯包餃子又炸油條，你曹大嫂親自下廚燒鍋燎灶，大冷天只忙得熱汗不消，白面饃夾臘肉你吃膩了，又給你蒸一鍋馬齒菜包，搬蒜臼還把蒜汁搗，蘿卜絲拌香油調了一瓢。 這其實是非常普遍的現象，大多數人想象不出超出自己經歷之外的世界究竟是什么樣子。因為人們總是要依賴自己已有的經歷、經驗和積累去理解新的、陌生的事物和世界。 另外還有一個重要的因素，就是人們對待同一事物、現象的時候，關注的焦點常常各不相同。至于這究竟是什么原因造成的，心理學家們也各執一詞；我的看法是，那是長期積累的習慣，而最初那一刻為什么關注焦點不同，基本上是隨機的。 比如，Lean Startup Methodologies里常常提到的一個方法論： > fall in love with the problem, not the solution. 顯然，這樣的關注焦點變換，會帶來不同的思考和行動。 > > 第十二課里，Aaron Levie 說， > > > > It is your job to listen to their problems, and translate those into what is going to build the best and simplest solution for them... > > > > 于是，有人能做到“不是用戶要什么就給什么”，原因在于關注焦點并不在于問題本身，而是想盡一切辦法找到那需求的根源——即，關注焦點在于更本質的、更深層次的原因，而后給出最好、最簡的解決方式。 當我有足夠的時間思考之時，我常常這樣玩： * **目的、手段、結果**：我現在這樣想，可能是因為我更關注結果，如果我更關注手段，那我會想什么呢？…… * **過去、現在、將來**：我現在這么想，可能是因為我想未來更多一些，要是我更關注現在，那我會想什么呢？ * **優點、缺點**：我剛才想這事兒的時候，我關注它的缺點更多一些，；那我要是關注優點更多一些，會想什么呢？ 如果我們只能用一個基于自我的焦點思考，通常的結果就是只剩下“羨慕嫉妒恨”。如果我們平時多貪玩一點，多變換一些焦點去關注，就常常產生高質量的思考。 * * * 附一篇舊文章： ### How to think about what belongs to the next generation > The future you shall know when it has come; before then, forget it. > > (Aeschylus) REALLY? Everyone has his or her own future, and no one wants to be outdated. Everyone gets older, yet only few remain updated. The key to remaining updated is to distinguish a delicate difference, that is, we need different mindsets to ponder about what belongs to the present and what belongs to the future. This experience came from my angel investment career. As a beginner, I made almost every possible mistake, however, I have been aware of one single important principle I should and want to observe: I want to participate in what belongs to the next generation. The reason that we are pursuing what belongs to the next generation is obvious: if something belongs to the next generation, it will be unstoppable, albeit it is imperfect. History proves to us time and time again that every revoluationary innovation was not perfect, yet it was much better than the previous generation, and it was doomed to be replaced by the next imperfect generation. Once we are scrutinizing something that belongs to future, or seems to be the next generation, we should switch our focus from the negative to the positive. It’s reasonable to focus on the negative if we are looking at what belongs to the present, because the positive aspects of them are obvious, the viability has already been proven. We do need to think hard about the negative to avoid possible dangers. However, if we use this mindset to consider about the future, the next generation, we could miss everything. Because the future will not be perfect, just as the present is obviously not perfect, and the next generation will certainly be replaced by the next next generation, which should be also imperfect. Therefore, when we think about the future, the next generation, we have to try hard to focus on the positive rather than the negative. Otherwise the what belongs to the next generation would seem stupid anyway. In retrospect, when I was determined to participate the grand social experiment of monetary system, that is, Bitcoin, I was guided by this mindset. I knew I had to try hard to focus on what seemed positive rather than negative, otherwise what seems wonderful today might well seemed no more than stupid three years ago. The future is unstoppable, it has to come, and everyone should have a nicer tomorrow, we cannot change the past, but we might well change the future by switching our mindset when thinking about the future or what belongs to the next generation.