See, I didn't read it as Gladwell saying 10,000 hours == amazing at something.  I read it more as being elite usually requires an immense about of preparation and focus.  The 10,000 hour thing was a simplistic rule-of-thumb that sprouted out, but I'm not sold that Epstein's take is immensely better.  It's pop physiology, and unless people want to read through dozens of helpful but largely inconclusive studies, these short-hand analyses are expected.

I read Outliers a long time ago and I don't remember the 10,000 hours rule being applied to say an athlete can become great a performing in a sport just based on practicing/training a lot – I thought it was used to demonstrate an expert level of understanding.  For example, if I practiced and trained to play football for 10,000 hours, I’m still highly unlikely to have the ability to play professionally, but I would argue that I should be an expert in the game of football and should be able to coach it / describe it with an expert level of understanding.

Epstein does seem to have a pretty convenient straw man to fight against here.  I've never heard of anyone, including Malcom Gladwell, who believes 10,000 hours of practice turns just anyone into an elite athlete.  If that were the case, there would be elite athletes all over the place, and none of them would be high school or college age.

Epstein does seem to have a pretty convenient straw man to fight against here.  I've never heard of anyone, including Malcom Gladwell, who believes 10,000 hours of practice turns just anyone into an elite athlete.  If that were the case, there would be elite athletes all over the place, and none of them would be high school or college age.

"How does recruiting work in Jamaica?"

“We’re not allowed to give refrigerators to their parents.”