Episode 816 | Developing an Editorial Eye, The Right Kind of Stubborn, and The Power of Focus (A Rob Solo Adventure)

Summary of Episode 816 | Developing an Editorial Eye, The Right Kind of Stubborn, and The Power of Focus (A Rob Solo Adventure)

by Rob Walling

22m•January 20, 2026
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Overview of Episode 816 | Developing an Editorial Eye — Rob Walling (solo episode)

Rob Walling gives a solo episode focused on three main themes: how to develop an “editorial eye” (or taste) in creative and technical work, the difference between productive persistence and harmful stubbornness, and the power of focus for founders. He illustrates these ideas with frameworks, reader feedback, Paul Graham’s essay “The Right Kind of Stubborn,” and recent social-media debates about growth and VC expectations. The episode also includes sponsor and event mentions (G2i and MicroConf Europe).

Key takeaways

  • Developing taste/editorial judgment comes in three stages: exposure → analysis → mastery.
  • Start startups by solving real problems for real people; don’t build a solution looking for a problem (read The Mom Test).
  • Distinguish productive persistence (attached to a goal) from obstinacy (attached to a specific approach). Be stubborn about the outcome, flexible about the method.
  • Focus beats endless switching. Constantly jumping between ideas reduces your chance of outsized success.
  • Be skeptical of sensational social-media claims (e.g., “triple, triple, double, double is dead”); know your audience and goals (bootstrap vs VC).

Detailed summary

Sponsor & announcements

  • Sponsor: G2i — pre-vetted engineers, live technical interviews. Promo: g2i.co/rob (7-day free trial + $1,500 off when mentioning the show).
  • MicroConf Europe 2026 in Iceland (Sept 21–23). Promo code: ROB50 at microconfeurope.com.

Developing an editorial eye (main framework)

Rob describes three stages anyone can use to develop taste across domains (design, code, film, writing, etc.):

  1. Exposure
    • See lots of examples to learn the continuum of good vs bad.
    • For code, exposure includes reading and adopting unfamiliar codebases, not just writing your own.
  2. Analysis
    • Be able to explain why something works or doesn't (structure, clarity, maintainability, pacing, etc.).
    • Moving from “it feels off” to concrete reasons separates novices from developing practitioners.
  3. Mastery
    • Know how to fix problems — prescribe changes and implement them (refactor, adjust structure, change pacing).
    • Editorial vision: combines experience, judgment, and creative problem-solving.

Advice: identify where you (and collaborators) sit on this spectrum and hire/cede to experts when appropriate.

Solution vs problem (reader insight)

  • Rob recounts a listener who learned from The Mom Test that products should arise from solving real problems, not the other way around.
  • Core startup question: “What problem does this solve and for whom?”

The right kind of stubborn (Paul Graham)

  • Paul Graham: persistence vs obstinacy — both are hard to stop but different:
    • Persistent = attached to the goal; adaptable about methods.
    • Obstinate = attached to the method; unwilling to change.
  • Rob emphasizes that successful founders are persistent (rigid in pace but flexible in direction), while obstinate founders often fail unless they luck into the right idea initially.
  • Ruben Gomez’s nuance: successful founders iterate — test hypotheses, get data, pivot incrementally.

Focus vs switching (Sam Parr)

  • Sam Parr argues focus is essential — swapping projects to avoid future regret kills long-term success.
  • Rob echoes: focus is hard but more likely to produce outsized outcomes than diversification when building a startup.

Social-media hype & VC growth narratives

  • Reaction to tweets claiming “triple, triple, double, double is dead” (Harry Stebbings / Adam Fox thread): Rob warns against accepting clickbaity, absolutist takes.
  • Not every founder needs VC-scale hypergrowth; know which metrics and trajectories suit your goals (bootstrap vs VC).
  • Rob laments how social media rewards sensationalism over thoughtful, substantive writing.

Notable quotes

  • “The persistent are attached to the goal. The obstinate are attached to their ideas about how to reach it.” — Paul Graham (quoted by Rob)
  • Listener insight: “It makes more sense for a solution to a problem to become a product than forcing a product to become a solution.” — paraphrased listener after reading The Mom Test
  • “Constant switching will kill you. The focus is the hard part and will increase the likelihood of the desirable outcome.” — Sam Parr (quoted)

Practical actions & recommendations

  • Audit your editorial stage: expose yourself to many examples, practice analyzing why something works, and try prescribing fixes.
  • If building a product: start with a clear problem + user, validate with The Mom Test-style conversations.
  • Be the “right kind of stubborn”: persistent about goals, flexible about approaches — iterate based on data.
  • Prioritize focus; avoid hopping from idea to idea as emotional comfort.
  • Be skeptical of bold social-media declarations; consider source, context, and alignment with your goals (bootstrap vs VC).

Resources mentioned

  • G2i — g2i.co/rob (sponsor)
  • MicroConf Europe — microconfeurope.com (use code ROB50)
  • The Mom Test — Rob Fitzpatrick (book)
  • Paul Graham essays — paulgraham.com (essay: “The Right Kind of Stubborn”)
  • Rob Walling on YouTube: youtube.com/@RobWalling
  • Rob on X/Twitter: @robwalling

Who this episode is for

  • Early-stage founders deciding product/market fit and execution strategy.
  • Developers and designers wanting to develop deeper critical judgment.
  • Makers who struggle with persistence vs pivot decisions, or who are tempted by social-media noise.

Rob closes by reiterating his mission: to help SaaS founders (mostly bootstrappers) with practical frameworks and honest advice rather than clickbait.