It’s hard to be successful if you don’t define the type of success.

I think there are 4 types of:

  1. Commercial success
  2. Critical success
  3. Credentialed success
  4. Cultural success

Commercial success means money. Critical success means tastemakers in the space see you as a success, typically in the form of an award. Credentialed success means you get a, well, credential (which could be a degree, or something like it). Cultural success means that you resonate deeply with a specific audience.

The type of success you’re pursuing changes what the path looks like.

Consider becoming a successful filmmaker:

  1. Commercial success = blockbuster
  2. Critical success = academy award winning film
  3. Credentialed success = completing film school
  4. Cultural success = cult classic (like Rocky Horror or Office Space)

What you need to learn (and how you need to create) in order to write a blockbuster is very different than what wins awards vs what school teaches you vs what will be quoted for years to come.

The path to success becomes much clearer once you know what you want it to look like.