I wonder what would happen if you tried really hard.

Materialize

Bobby Iliev

DevOps

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Putting in minimal effort might get you through, but true greatness requires trying your hardest. Many successful figures like Lionel Messi and Taylor Swift have achieved their status through unparalleled dedication and hard work. Standing out often takes just a bit more effort than the average person is willing to give. Embracing the potential for failure and consistently trying hard can lead to significantly better outcomes in life, career, and personal relationships.

What if you tried hard?

Let me tell you something: most of us do try hard. People are trying hard, and it is not because I’m not as talented, successful, or rich as Messi or Swift that I’m not giving my best.
There’s a gotcha in all this “work hard” thing: the system is not designed to reward effort—not even superior talent. To be one of those superstars, you need to be talented (on the skills that the world values), work hard, be in the right place at the right time, know the right people, have opportunities, and have luck—tons of it (especially when you are born).
While I do recognize that not everyone is giving their best, this general advice of “work harder” is a recipe for health problems like depression, anxiety, and many others.
My advice is: if you want to dedicate all your time and health to TRY to be one of the best in your field, know that there’s a good chance you will fail miserably and pay the price later. High stakes may leave you broke.
Yes, it is a choice. Let people make that choice knowing what is behind it. Be honest, the race is rigged.

I think I’m falling into the trap of responding to this kind of article, but I think I must.
The article has a very dangerous and damaging logic.
The article oversimplifies the relationship between effort and success, overlooking key factors like luck, opportunity, and systemic inequalities.
Using celebrities like Messi or Swift as examples is flawed due to survivorship bias—they represent rare outcomes, not guaranteed results of hard work.
While effort is important, it’s neither sufficient nor universally rewarded and framing success this way insults those who try hard but face structural or situational barriers. For every Messi, at least a million people tried harder and didn’t make it to be that successful.
True inspiration lies in recognising diverse paths to success, not equating effort with fame or fortune.
To those who try hard and fail. Do not try harder but do not give up either. Find what can be learned from the effort, maybe try something else and pace yourself.
Life is a marathon.

I ask this question all the time. Some days when I’m going to sleep, I wonder if I did different that day.

Do the best on your own projects, do the minimum and charge max for the companies without a face projects

Incentive structures are extremely perverted, have repeatedly experienced the hardest workers being paid the least.
The ambitious be chosen purely for being easy to manipulate, as often lack of friction not value addition, wins promotion.