Part 2/9:
Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers popularized the idea that intensive, prolonged deliberate practice is crucial for reaching high levels of performance. Drawing from research by psychologist Anders Ericsson, Gladwell illustrates that individuals like the Beatles and Bill Gates achieved greatness not just through talent, but through extensive practice.
For instance, he points out that:
The Beatles played over 1,200 performances in Hamburg, Germany, from 1960 to 1964, accumulating more than 10,000 hours of playing time.
Bill Gates gained access to a high school computer in 1968 at age 13, dedicating thousands of hours learning programming before founding Microsoft.