Unsolicited advice for my fellow cypherpunks (and developers) on wanting to get credit for your work – don't. The more used your work becomes, the more injustices you'll experience. If you fixate on injustices, you'll only feed the problem and end up limiting your ability to keep building. I've been through plenty of dumb situations over the years, and one thing helped me push through is the mantra of: credit is in the outcome. So focus on that – and if the outcome achieved is not enough to keep you motivated, find something that is, instead of creating a demand that others have to recognize or appreciate the work you've done.

Replies (13)

Constantin's avatar
Constantin 3 months ago
I told you about a year ago that no good deed goes unpunished. Back then, I was accused of working on the "black market" because "immigrants don't do anything out of good heart". 🤷 So I stopped.
Benking's avatar
Benking 3 months ago
This is gold. True impact isn’t measured by recognition, likes, or applause, it’s measured by the real-world change your work creates. Obsessing over credit only slows progress and saps energy. Build, iterate, and let the results speak for themselves. If the outcome inspires you, that’s all the reward you need.
The Harry S Truman quote 'It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.' changed my career. I found it on a fortune cookie at a low point in my life & adopted it hard at work. Everything changed & ironically, the harder I tried to shirk the credit for my work onto others, the more it was pushed back onto me.
So true for many types of creative work. When you are ahead of the curve, others naturally don't understand it. Even less can they appreciate your efforts in their consumer mentality. An exception might be performance arts or sports. Btw, I very much appreciate your work! Never really had the chance to tell you @npub1j8y6...vrvg
A second piece that fits well with this is to praise publicly and criticize privately.