Some patterns I’ve seen in people who are Outliers, incredibly high performers in their areas, specifically in tech or finance.

While these don't apply to all people or other fields, they're interesting to note & may make a few of you feel a bit more "normal." A thread. 1/
Internal distaste for authority.

They may not be outwardly rebellious, but it’s clear that they would not respond well being told what to do or how to think.

While many are happy to tick off the boxes, these folks take pride in being independent in this way. 2/
Don’t fit in.

Though they may be seen as cool now, they were likely not the “cool kids” in high school, and have always felt a little different.

Their interests might not have lined up with what others were really into, and it made them feel on the outside of things. 3/
Talent + Hard work.

While they work hard, they also have natural talent. This is not “hard work beats talent,” it is talent working hard.

This is a frequent combination that elevates them into another level… bc they’re building on a baseline that is already exceptional. 4/
Skew introvert.

This isn't always the case, but they’re often perfectly content to explore ideas & work alone in a room as their happy place.

It’s not sad, it’s challenging and brings great satisfaction. The harder parts are often the people parts. 5/
Follow their own beliefs over accepted common knowledge.

What they can/can’t do, what is/isn’t possible.

They don’t say “okay” and accept it, they push - often quietly, the boundaries that challenge other’s thinking. 6/
Carry frustration.

They are often deeply frustrated by the things others don’t get that are clear to them.

This is a blessing and a curse and can make them look arrogant when they’re not. It can make them hard on others in leadership (founder) roles. 7/
This isn't science - they're just things I’ve seen over & over again from the work I do in those fields specifically.

Saying that, people can be incredibly successful and never be an outlier - but when you see it, these are the traits that tend to stand out. 8/fin