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The 4-Hour Workweek Hype Cycle
By Brick | March 10, 2008
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Gartner uses the Hype Cycle to describe how the hype regarding a new technology is often followed by a period of disappointment and subsequently by a period of more modest practical benefits:
Source: Jeremy Kemp / Wikipedia.
If we also consider management fads and personal productivity movements as technologies, I think one would find that the hype cycle equally applies to these as well. For example, there has been a lot of talk in the blogosphere about GTD entering the “trough of disillusionment”. Where in the hype cycle is The 4-Hour Workweek?
Personally, I think it is still in the “peak of inflated expectations” phase. The book remains wildly popular. My prediction is that people, specifically salaried employees, are going to have problems liberating themselves from the office environment. If they can even achieve mobility in the first place, the next challenge will be automating sizeable amounts of work via personal outsourcing (the single biggest issue I hear from 4-hour workweek readers is “what can I outsource?” often accompanied by explanations built around client confidentiality, etc.). I have already commented in my post The 4-Hour Workweek: Easier Said Than Done on some of the reasons to be skeptical. So, like almost all personal effectiveness movements, I am certain The 4-Hour Workweek will go through the inevitable trough of disillusionment. I am also equally sure it will rebound, especially since some have already been successful in applying the principles - so there is something real here.
Where do you think The 4-Hour Workweek is in its hype cycle? Do you even think the hype cycle applies?
Popularity: 25% [?]
Topics: Hype Cycle |
March 12th, 2008 at 5:27 am
Thanks for linking to my Organize IT post. I think the current view of productivity (partly brought on by overhyped interpretations and expectations of GTD) is what is in the trough of disillusionment right now and we are slowly becoming enlightened to what true personal productivity is.
I can’t comment on where 4 Hour Workweek is on the cycle, but I’m finding it increasingly appealing (more coverage and hype behind it?). The paperback is due out here soon so I will be checking it out…
March 13th, 2008 at 2:45 am
I would submit that the 4HWW is just past the peak of hype and that increasing amounts of backlash are going to be showing up (like this one - http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2007/08/09/timothy-ferriss-ruining-lives-four-hours-at-a-time/)
I like the strategic aspect of the 4HWW, but I just cannot accept or condone some of the tactics. Just like with the 7 Habits and with GTD, you take the parts that work and leave the rest.
March 13th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I don’t think that it’s quite hit the “trough of disillusionment.” I think that, in figuring out where 4 Hour Workweek is, they’re missing the whole point.
I’ll say what I said in another blog re: GTD. I can say this about GTD as I’ve read a good chuck of it. Allen never said that his system offers all of the solutions or even perfect ones. He merely presented some great ideas that some will implement.
My memory is fuzzy re: Ferriss and 4 Hour Workweek. I’m not sure if Allen is revising GTD, although I know that Ferriss is. For any of these productivity gurus remain current, they need to update their systems as well as their books. Otherwise, they’re not able to preach the gospel (being productive) and practice it. Productivity cannot remain constant without constant improvement. No individual is perfect, at least not for an extended period. Neither can systems.
March 14th, 2008 at 3:54 am
@James, if anything, the 4HWW is an entertaining read, so I think you will at least enjoy the book even if you disagree with all or parts of it. I do look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.
@Stephen, thanks for the great link! Some pretty scathing stuff in there for the 4HWW - a lot of which resonated with me. As I mentioned in another post I have my own reasons to be skeptical. For me the useful take away from 4HWW was the overall questioning of traditional workweek / deferred life plan.
@Jose, I agree, you take away whichever chunks of wisdom are useful for yourself and hopefully improve upon them over time. I recently started reading 7 Habits again, and what struck me is that sometimes when you go back, you find things that are useful now that were not useful when you first read it (I think I first read 7 habits back in 1992).