The Start-Up of You
Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career
Reid Hoffman cofounder and chairman of LinkedIn, and Ben Casnocha
Summary:
Everything is changing and we will need to change and adapt, quickly,
intelligently and constantly. This change will involve networking
with many key people, learning new things, taking calculated risks, and
thinking outside of traditional career paths. You are in the business
of you.This was a so so book for me. There are some great concepts in this book, but there is a lot of blah information as well. The author frequently puts down many traditionally looked up to and successful people in the business world and their methods of achieving success. There is some information about networking as he is one of the co founders of LinkedIn, he has access to see what works and what doesn’t or is just flat out tasteless. This book sometimes feels like a marketing tool for LinkedIn with a few program tips or fun facts thrown in.
Some concepts that I can apply to my life right now are it is helpful to gain a better understanding of how the co founder of LinkedIn would recommend navigating and utilizing resources in the program and in person. I like the concept of Permanent Beta, although I would not call it that. It reminds me of taking a road trip without having a final destination chosen, you would have many experiences and some of them would be fantastic, but after all that serendipitous turning and meeting all those really cool people, I think you might look back on your life and feel that you did not set a goal and therefore could not ever really achieve your desire. It seems more like a life of instant gratification instead of planning, patience, persistence, perseverance, perspiration, and peace that comes when you have obtained the prize you have sought after for so long.
Some concepts and quotes I liked:
“Take intelligent and bold risks to accomplish something great. Build a network of alliances to help you with intelligence, resources and collective action. Pivot to a breakout opportunity.”
The author does not plan several years from now. He states that nothing will be the same so you must keep a mind set of ”Permanent beta” to help you watch, interpret and adapt to the constant change.
“Finished ought to be an F-word for all of us. We are all works in progress. Each day presents an opportunity to learn more, do more, be more, grow more in our lives and careers. Keeping your career in permanent beta forces you to acknowledge that you have bugs, that there’s new development to do on yourself, that you will need to adapt and evolve. But it’s still a mind-set brimming with optimism because it celebrates that fact that you have the power to improve yourself and, as important, improve the world around you.”
“How to develop the skill set of you
- Develop your competitive advantage in the market by combining three puzzle pieces: your assets, your aspirations, and the market realities.(Chapter 2)
- Use ABZ Planning to formulate a Plan A based on your competitive advantages, and then iterate and adapt that plan based on feedback and lessons learned. (Chapter 3)
- Build real, lasting relationships and deploy these relationships into a powerful professional network. (Chapter 4)
- Find and create opportunities for yourself by tapping networks, being resourceful, and staying in motion. (Chapter 5)
- Accurately appraise and take on intelligent risk as you pursue professional opportunities. (Chapter 6)
- Tap Network intelligence from the people you know for the insight that allows you to find better opportunities and make better career decisions. (Chapter 7)”
“The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.”
“Relationship builders, on the other hand, try to help people first. They don’t keep score. They’re aware that many good deeds get reciprocated, but they are not calculated about it. They think about their relationship all the time, not just when they need something”
“Empathize and help first
1.See the world from other person’s perspective. 2. How can you help or collaborate with other person rather than thinking about what you can get from them”
Skilled Negotiators vs. Average Negotiators: “Time spent searching for shared interests, asking questions of other person and forging common ground. Other person truly benefit as opposed to driving hard bargain out of self interest.”
“Ask what is in it for US?”
“Company- Latin- Cum pane - breaking bread together”
”Iwe Individuals power is raised exponentially with the help of a team (network)”
Status Dynamics: “He failed to recognize how his personal talents might make his boss look diminished in the eyes of others. He failed to navigate the status dynamics around him; failed to account for the insecurities, status anxieties, and egos of everyone else. He failed to build relationships with the people above him and below him on the totem pole. And ultimately, he paid the price with his job.”
Get out and Do: “You won’t stumble upon opportunities that rocket your career forward- if you’re lying in bed. When you do something, you stir the pot and introduce the possibility that seemingly random ideas, people, and places will collide and form new combinations and opportunities.”
“Professional Allies or Weak Ties (W.T. the ones who refer jobs are the ones you don’t know very well)”
When you want to network with someone you don’t know, do some research on them and then “tailor request for introduction to something you’ve learned…you’ve mentioned that. . .I noticed that. . . I’m curious what. . . “
“The best networks are: Cohesive and diverse Both narrow/deep (strong connections) and wide/shallow (bridge ties)”
“Status( Power, prestige, and rank within given social setting at given moment in time) treat people with respect, be considerate of other person’s time Power Jostling, gamesmanship, and status signaling Everyone is equal, yet, everyone is not equal”
“Be curious, court serendipity and good randomness, take intelligent risks”
“Get information for your network talk to:
- Domain Experts
- People you know well
- Really smart people
- Collect readings from multiple sensors
- analyze each piece of info that comes in
- synthesize various streams of data and understand how different pieces fit together”
