The Best Espresso in the World
I indulge in one luxury and that’s my morning coffee. for the last seven years, I’ve had the privilege of drinking the world’s best espresso to start my days. It was time I made a video about the man behind the prize winning blends at Milano Coffee. Here’s my video with Brian Turko.
Delusion or Greatness?
One of the toughest parts about making something is gauging if it sucks or not. And what’s even harder is whether you can trust that judgement.
We’ve all seen the botched auditions on shows like American Idol (or that guy from our high school still trying to be a rapper). People, who’s assessment of themselves is far different than that of the masses. In a word - delusion.
As Paul Graham has eloquently explained, to be innovative you have to have ideas that most others disagree with but turn out to be correct.
So when we believe we are onto something but everyone disagrees, how can we assess if it’s delusion or perhaps innovation or even genius?
Assuming self-indulgence is not the ultimate goal, we have to present our creation to the world. This is the only way to triangulate whether what we’re doing is actually any good.
Three opinions we often consider:
Our own opinion
The opinion of those close to us. (this could swing either way. Because those close to you love you, and don’t want to hurt you, they may refrain from providing criticism. At the same time, those who ACTUALLY love you may be more honest than strangers in order to ensure you aren’t ridiculed).
The opinion of strangers - they need to be paying something for it: Money, attention etc.
We have to share the photo, video, sculpture, or project and see how the public or market reacts. This is not attaching self worth to social media likes and shares, but rather assessing our own level of potential delusion.
Brian’s done this on a global scale, entering his espresso blends for the International Institute of Coffee Tasters to judge in Italy. And won gold. 15 times!
As a relatively new and small YouTube channel, I admit it’s terrifying and exhilarating to post each video. By the time I hit upload I’m often sick of the video and can’t stand the sight of my own face on camera. I see every awkward attempt to seem comfortable in front of the camera but at some point you just have to click publish. That’s the only way I’ll get the feedback and refine the process.
We should always assume we are delusional or at least biased to some degree.
Anyone who’s delusional likely assigns a 0% probability of being delusional. So those who consider the possibility are more likely to be receptive to public feedback.
If you assume you’re always wrong to some degree and try to minimize that wrongness you’re likely more right than if you assume you’re right.
In summary I try to:
Make stuff, share stuff, assess feedback, repeat.
Until next time,
-Nima