There seem overwhelmingly many more ways to earn a useful surplus of money than there are ways to usefully research IA, so any given person (i.e. you) is more likely to be able to learn a skill from the large set of {skills which could earn surplus money} than to learn a skill from the much smaller set {skills useful for advancing the state of IA research}.
Particularly since your claim of “no skills already developed” ignores your ability and willingness to write, and your having a blog and associated skills, both of which are things some people earn plenty from.
There seem overwhelmingly many more ways to earn a useful surplus of money than there are ways to usefully research IA, so any given person (i.e. you) is more likely to be able to learn a skill from the large set of {skills which could earn surplus money} than to learn a skill from the much smaller set {skills useful for advancing the state of IA research}.
I already have a path laid out for IA research. Nobody’s actually doing focused, systematized IA work; it’s a really high value target right now, and it’s something I’m already specialized for. In general I believe your advice holds, but I’m narcissistic enough and confident enough in my narcissism to think I’m a special case.
Particularly since your claim of “no skills already developed” ignores your ability and willingness to write, and your having a blog and associated skills, both of which are things some people earn plenty from.
Such people are almost invariably better writers than me. I could learn how to write better, but it’s a skill I’d have to develop. I actually have a very good opportunity to make good money, but there are other things I’d like to do within the framework of SIAI first, I think. All my plans are in flux. I fly into Berkeley Tuesday; we’ll see what happens after that.
There seem overwhelmingly many more ways to earn a useful surplus of money than there are ways to usefully research IA, so any given person (i.e. you) is more likely to be able to learn a skill from the large set of {skills which could earn surplus money} than to learn a skill from the much smaller set {skills useful for advancing the state of IA research}.
Particularly since your claim of “no skills already developed” ignores your ability and willingness to write, and your having a blog and associated skills, both of which are things some people earn plenty from.
I already have a path laid out for IA research. Nobody’s actually doing focused, systematized IA work; it’s a really high value target right now, and it’s something I’m already specialized for. In general I believe your advice holds, but I’m narcissistic enough and confident enough in my narcissism to think I’m a special case.
Such people are almost invariably better writers than me. I could learn how to write better, but it’s a skill I’d have to develop. I actually have a very good opportunity to make good money, but there are other things I’d like to do within the framework of SIAI first, I think. All my plans are in flux. I fly into Berkeley Tuesday; we’ll see what happens after that.