> It takes 10,000 hours to become an “expert in an ultra
> competitive field” but to go from “knowing nothing to being
> pretty good”, actually takes 20 hours.<p>Let's discount fields where it takes less than 10'000 hours to become a master, i.e. we're gonna concentrate on things like playing violin, computer programming, writing literature, etc.<p>Let's also discount genius and extreme neurodiversity, i.e. within a factor of 1-2 everybody is about equally cognitively abled.<p>> pretty good<p>Complete utter bunk. There's no violin player you'd listen to voluntarily after 20 hours of exercise. There's no programmer you'd hire, for anything, after he's gone trough 20 hours of programming. There's no author you'd read after he's written literature for 20 hours of his life. And in most cases, you wouldn't sit into a car with somebody who's got 20 hours of driving exercise.<p>Yes, it doesn't take you 10'000 hours to become somewhat able at something. But in most serious endevours, it takes you more than 20 hours, way more, to pass even the lowest standard of qualification.