Quote
“Passion ... that's common. Endurance is rare.”
— Mark W. Schaefer, in Known (2017) · Known →
Why it was said
Mark W. Schaefer writes this in Known (2017), in his argument that steady work over years, more than talent or passion, is what makes people known; nearly everyone he interviewed for the book named consistency as essential. He follows the line with the example of the entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk. The wording echoes a line widely attributed to the psychologist Angela Duckworth, "Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare."
What it actually means
Most career advice about building a personal brand starts with passion: find what excites you and share it. Schaefer does not dismiss passion, but he notes that it is everywhere and therefore does not set anyone apart. What separates the people who become known from the many who start is that they keep going after the initial excitement fades and before the results arrive, a stretch that often lasts years. Endurance in this sense is not grim willpower. It depends on choices made earlier: a topic you can stay interested in, a format you can sustain, and a pace that fits the rest of your life. The line is a warning about plans that only work while enthusiasm is high.
How to use it
- 1Before starting a newsletter, podcast or channel, write down the pace you could still keep in a busy month, and plan around that pace rather than your best week.
- 2Look back at the last project you abandoned and note when you stopped; build your next plan to get past that point.