Advice For Hollywood

I hope you see this blog as something as not necessarily gathering advice you can't get elsewhere, but also taking it with a grain of salt. For the most part, and the typical you hear from nearly everyone who has been in this business this long "there is no right way." NO ONE wants to hear that. So to traverse that pat answer I offer my insight to what I've seen thus far.
Amongst the people I've know here, and to be arrogant for a second, I've gathered the most success. A lot of people have left. Others have taken to other professions. Some would rather never think about movies ever again. Others still struggle, don't work in the business but always talks about it.

I asked what success meant to someone recently, the answer was reachable and completely grounded in reality. Too many people eye themselves being a Hollywood Hills home with a pool and such. That's pretty rare.

The thing about being here and doling out the advice is...people don't listen to common sense. Sorry, you don't. I know too many. The problem is ego. We all have it (I showed it above). We have a sense of grandeur in this business because most of us think if we fake it we make it. True to an extent. People in greater power will find you out. Most are college dropouts but they are NO dummies.

That said, don't completely take my advice to be the bible NOR should you ignore what the reality of the town is. I've lived here long enough to have opinions. Will most of this happen to you? Probably not. But some may and to navigate this field, you need any words you can adhere to.

Too many I've spoken to in person are dense and disregard what I tell them no matter what. Or they misinterpret what I've said (poor communications skills on my part to not be more clear, I guess). And it sometimes baffles me why some of these people don't heed my warnings. It's simple. They think they're special.
And they are. But they are also part of the faceless crowd that walks the streets of Hollywood who want to work in "the business." Everyone is special. Everyone is better, smarter and prettier than you. If you accept this fact, it's not a bad life.

I have a friend who disregards or completely ignores the fact that I've worked on large projects. Or just keeps it close to his chest, because it's to admit inadequacy. Or whatever. Has never asked me advice on how to navigate the business. Fine, we all learn the hard way. I'm not bitter about not being consulted but I'm always amused when the next poor decision is recounted. I think most people think I should enjoy hearing stories of people trying and floundering. That's dark and cynical. What ends up happening is that I pretty much hear the stories of my younger life re-told. The dumb mistakes. The dumb hope. The dumb effort to gather nothing. I know how my parents felt.

The struggle to work in the movie business is part of the journey, I suppose. What I do find amusing is that some people will most likely take this blog entry and interpret as a washed up angry production guy who quit and whose bitterness has consumed him.
If that's the case, why am I here, still working in the industry in some form, a steady mode of income with new aspirations to run a company?
Pipe dreams you say? I'm listening.