I’m very much the same way. Sales people are just give me hints of what not to trust and usually fold under any sustained inquiry about their product. Skilled sales people know when to turn me over to their subject matter expert. We get to geek and I actually learn a thing or two about their product and, often times, the state of the industry.

One of the things the above post doesn’t include are the people who championed her. Between Elliot Barnathan, the cardiologist whose lab she was initially hired into, to David Langer, the resident who was able to get her a job in neurosurgery department, she was lucky enough to have someone who could do the hype while she did her work brilliantly.

In the publishing world, a great editor can recognize the genius of a writer, give quality feedback, and protect them from the moneyed interests.

I don’t know if I’d call these people hype men, as they were so much more than hype, but they definitely hype the genius of the patronee.