A Persistence Paradox

It is widely believed that persistence in most endeavors is key to their success. By its very nature, persistence enhances both the quality of an outcome and its probability of success because people are willing to endure failures before achieving a desired goal. To test this hypothesis on a massive scale, we studied the production histories and success dynamics of 10 million videos uploaded to a popular video website. Our results reveal that while the average quality of submissions does increase with the number of uploads, the more frequently an individual uploads content the less likely it is that it will reach a popularity threshold. These paradoxical findings, which hold both at the aggregate and individual levels, throw light on the act of production in the attention economy. 1 

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: FIRSTMONDAY
• Authors: Fang Wu, Bernardo A. Huberman
• Keywords: FIRSTMONDAY 2010, Massive Scale, Popular Video Website, Success Dynamics