85% of your financial success is due to your personality - Agree or Disagree?

Agree 100%. I dont know the facts and figures but as I read multiple articles and stuff I see that Steve Wozniak made less money than Steve jobs.

Ok apart from my above statement , look around you IT fellas. The people who get promoted always are not great performers they are great followers.

Isn't it a disheartening though for those who have been single-mindedly focused on improving their technical skills? I mean there are people who are really good at their job, but can't advertise their work enough. There are plenty of examples around us for this.

Strongly disagree. First of all, where did these numerical figures spawn from?

1) How can you measure "85 percent of your financial success"?
2) As a counterpoint : Elon Musk. Enough said.

Intellect is the fuel, you cannot achieve much without it. If you have "human engineering" skills, cherry on the top. But only the cherry does not count as a cake.

*Strictly a personal opinion.

Shashank MogheFirst of all, where did these numerical figures spawn from?

73% of all statistics are made up on the spot. 😁

I always had a hard time believing that someone who isn't good at his job can bag all the appreciation or become successful (in the traditional sense of course), but my short stint at an IT company did change my beliefs by more than a little.

PS: I firmly believe in the Quote, "Work in Silence. Let the work make all the Noise."

Even my stint in the IT industry in India made me see people at managerial positions they did not have the technical expertise for, but I do not consider that success. Somewhere, somewhen, they will have to face their technical incompetency. You can never shadow a lack of intellect/technical expertise with soft skills.

Soft skills are an add on to technical knowledge. In any industry you can just tell whether the person is competent based on the way he puts forward his technical intellect and his Intellectual properties. Its never the other way around. Cos you tend to make really big blunder if you are an half filled vessel.

There is only one sector where your soft skills pay you a lot and that is in BPO's or Call centres other than that its never the say

Well, both go hand in hand, for eg. You cannot convince your boss for the awesome solution if u don't have enough soft skills.
Also your boss cannot judge whether your idea is good enough if he/she doesn't have enough technical skills.
😀 So as per me, both are equally necessary to succeed.

Well, it is the distribution of soft skills : intellect that is the problem. The report says, 85% human engineering : 15% technical knowledge.

As technical person I don't want to believe it. But alas, I have seen this in person.
Super technical guys ware lagging behind to get promotion/making more money because of lacking in soft skills/adjustment and communicate to get deserved recognition.

Ankita Katdarecommunicate, negotiate, and lead

The key factors 👍.

Ankita KatdareWork in Silence. Let the work make all the Noise."

Agree, but when it come to decision making point you have to communicate to get what you deserve. Otherwise, you have to regret for it later.

Again,
Soft skill != Speaking English.

Shashank MogheEven my stint in the IT industry in India made me see people at managerial positions they did not have the technical expertise for, but I do not consider that success. Somewhere, somewhen, they will have to face their technical incompetency. You can never shadow a lack of intellect/technical expertise with soft skills.

#-Link-Snipped-# : I loved your reply. I 100% agree to what you said. But my answer was according to the situation i see currently everywhere. I would be more than happy if the technical competent people have all the success but I dont see thats happening.

And like you said, exactly like you said I was also a firm believer of "Somewhere, somewhen, they will have to face their technical incompetency"

But going with 8 years of exp. I lost my hope of people without knowledge learning lessons , they find people to manage the technical aspect of life and get on!

#-Link-Snipped-# , I totally relate to your experience. May be it is the work culture that needs to change. May be it is companies like Tesla Motors that we need more, companies which value technical side of an individual more than the management side.

Both are equally essential, I agree, but purely technical people should get as much a fair share as do non-technical, smooth speaking managers. After all, words do not run industries, ideas do.

I agree, but I will rather say communication, doesn't matter if you have some brilliant product but if you are not able to explain and convince others about it; it is useless.

Wondering what #-Link-Snipped-# #-Link-Snipped-# #-Link-Snipped-# #-Link-Snipped-# have to say about this topic. (Just tagging all those who are online)

85% of financial success comes from <a href="https://www.crazyengineers.com/threads/how-to-get-over-whatsapp-addiction.79969">How to get over whatsapp addiction?</a> - Kaustubh Katdare.

, #-Link-Snipped-# says

To a greater extend the assessment of human engineering makes sense. Like many cutting edge technical products failed to impress the customer, the minds and hands create them too fails to sell themselves effectively. Yes , the 'CEO's ( Chief Excel Officers) who can collect, create visuals and present data using graphs and powerpoint presentations gain initial but short-term gains.

It takes the true blood technical genius a longer time to achieve that level of financial incentive ( because they get the benefit only if they are a critical resource and noticed by the higher-ups ).

However, I think eventually the situation balances out. As time goes , tech minds too evolve and learn excel and powerpoint and nothing can iron out a few chinks in presentation skills 😀. So, in my opinion, the entire situation is not that dark or gloomy.

How is financial success defined? If I am satisfied with what I have, to me that is success. I believe in the Ugly Indian motto 'Kama chaloo, mooh bundh'. I do what I enjoy doing, not what pays most.
An engineer has to communicate (his technical ideas to his team), negotiate (in the sense of optimizing between various options) and often lead a team (best from behind).
None of which may lead to financial success.

Kaustubh Katdare85% of financial success comes from <a href="https://www.crazyengineers.com/threads/how-to-get-over-whatsapp-addiction.79969">How to get over whatsapp addiction?</a> - Kaustubh Katdare.

I spend almost zero time on facebook, twitter. I do not have smart phone., so I do not know what is instagram, whatsapp. Yet our (including me)stipend is not being disbursed. ☕😛

My opinion: Financial success is only secondary thing. You keep on doing what you like the best, money is generated as a subsidiary process.

I also thought that only hard work can lead to success until I read the book "How To Win Friends and Influence People". I realised the fact that people who were using the tips and tricks with or without the knowledge of the book were far more successful than the ones who hadn’t. Simple things go a lot of way in making you a more successful and popular person than someone else. You can also learn about this phenomenon in Aswin Shanghi’s new non-fiction book “13 Steps to Bloody Good Luck”.

When it comes to the aforementioned article if you have read it carefully, the article talks about the contribution of each sector, moral, emotional and body intelligence along with technical knowhow in your success. For example this is the top tip in improving moral intelligence

“Top Tip for Improvement: Make fewer excuses and take responsibility for your actions. Avoid little white lies. Show sympathy and communicate respect to others. Practice acceptance and show tolerance of other people’s shortcomings. Forgiveness is not just about how we relate to others; it’s also how you relate to and feel about yourself.”

This are just little things that everyone is capable of. Imagine you are the hardest and most productive worker in your company but you treat your subordinates as crap, chances are the boss will promote to someone who is less productive but who can go well along with others.

That Forbes point makes sense, but it probably needs a bit of balance. Technical knowledge still gets you into a profession, especially in engineering or IT. Without solid skills, there’s no real foundation. However, long-term financial success often depends on how well someone communicates ideas, builds trust, and navigates opportunities.

Many technically brilliant people stay in purely technical roles, while those who combine competence with communication or leadership often move into higher-paying positions such as project leads, consultants, or founders. It doesn’t mean technical expertise is less valuable, it simply means other abilities amplify its impact.

A practical example can be seen in financial and advisory fields in Ireland. Firms working in areas such as personal insolvency regularly deal with complex legislation and financial structures, but success with clients also depends heavily on empathy, negotiation, and clear communication. A practice such as IRS Ireland, which specialises in insolvency and debt solutions in Waterford, shows how both elements come together, technical financial knowledge alongside strong interpersonal skills. More details about the services and approach can be found if you visit here: irs-ireland.com.

So the 85/15 split may not be exact, but the general idea holds: technical ability opens the door, while personality and communication often determine how far someone goes financially.