So, I have now finished reading another book by Cal Newport, So Good They Can’t Ignore You, and I enjoyed it a lot – perhaps even more than the first one I did (Deep Work). As per my usual ideas, I’m going to jot down some thoughts here, and then contrast that with an ChatGPT generated summary of the book. This is mostly an intellectual endeavour on my part – I am wondering which of the two is of most value to me, in my work. I imagine for others, the AI summary is perhaps of more use – but I wonder if the personal reflection is more valuable for me.
I believe that So Good They Can’t Ignore You was written by Newport before Deep Work. It’s written in very much the same style, as Newport lays out a central thesis and then provides some ‘rules’ about how people might incorporate the ideas present in that thesis into their work lives. The thesis of this book is that people shouldn’t necessarily follow their passion into work – rather, they should focus on being really good at their work (the craftsman principle) in order to develop a passion. He goes on to argue that values such as control and autonomy provide people with a much more fulfilling work experience than blindly following a ‘passion’ – especially when there is no attendant level of skill.
It’s a compelling argument – a kind of development from the idea that there’s pleasure in doing a job well, regardless of what that job is (although Newport is careful to bracket that idea with some caveats about work he advises the reader not to do in any case). However, I think it’s in the rules that it becomes most interesting. Newport argues for developing career capital – a kind of knowledge that sets you apart from your peers. It’s this part that is the good in ‘so good they can’t ignore you’. As part of this, he advocates for deliberative practice and constant corrective feedback.
I agree, largely, with what he’s got to say in this book – although I think some of the career paths he document are exceptions in that there are other constraints upon many people that govern the choices they make in the workplace.
And here’s the AI summary:
In So Good They Can’t Ignore You, Cal Newport challenges the popular career advice to “follow your passion.” He argues that this mindset is not only misleading but can also lead to confusion, dissatisfaction, and professional instability. Instead, Newport advocates for cultivating “career capital” — rare and valuable skills — through deliberate practice and a craftsman mindset. By focusing on becoming excellent at what you do, rather than chasing a pre-existing passion, individuals can build a foundation for meaningful and rewarding work.
Newport draws on interviews with successful professionals and case studies to support his thesis. He identifies key traits of desirable work: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. These qualities, he suggests, are earned rather than discovered, and come as a result of sustained effort and skill development. The more career capital a person builds, the more leverage they have to shape their job into something fulfilling.
He outlines four key rules:
- Don’t follow your passion.
- Be so good they can’t ignore you (borrowed from Steve Martin).
- Turn down promotions that reduce your control.
- Think small, act big — and pursue “mission-driven” work once you have enough career capital.
A significant portion of the book is dedicated to the dangers of seeking passion without skills, which Newport calls the “passion trap.” He argues that many who try to pursue passion prematurely end up frustrated, directionless, or unemployed. By contrast, those who invest in mastering valuable skills build autonomy and satisfaction over time.
Ultimately, Newport concludes that passion comes after mastery, not before. The book is a compelling counter-narrative to the feel-good but often impractical advice of pursuing your dreams without a concrete plan, offering a more disciplined, evidence-based approach to building a fulfilling career.