The Start Up of You

[ygolo]

Although, this has been around for a while, I feel like right now the concepts espoused are more relevant than ever before.

http://www.thestartupofyou.com/

The basic idea is that all humans are entrepreneurs and that we should strive to adapt and create competitive advantages by developing our networks. Networking is something I did not take very seriously early in my career, but I am realizing now that this may be the most important skill for success of all.

Thoughts?
------

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PF3zSo9jFuk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFeRzxCpfvM

A visual summary:
http://www.slideshare.net/reidhoffman/startup-of-you-visual-summary

 

[RaptorWizard]

It's important to establish connections for spreading information. The historical evidence suggests that when we do transmit what we know globally, progress moves much faster and more effectively. As such, it's good I think for us to accept every promising human perspective, as they each come together to form the great world system. That's how systems work I believe, is that there's different parts with various functions all coming together and producing our living simulation.

 

[ptgatsby]

The basic idea is that all humans are entrepreneurs and that we should strive to adapt and create competitive advantages by developing our networks. Networking is something I did not take very seriously early in my career, but I am realizing now that this may be the most important skill for success of all.

I was in a talk about millennials the other day and we talked about this a fair bit. Paraphrasing, the line that stuck with me the most was "millenials don't have job security, they have network security". I grew up in the inbetween. It's only recent that the social tools have created a strong social network framework, but job security decreased rapidly. Of course, there was another talk when I first joined the company I was at - all the new hires were sitting around and we heard about how the company was progressive and using linkedin and so forth to hire. The 20 or so of us in the room... well, not one of us had been hired through linked in or any other social system. Jury's still out for me, hah hah.

My opinion is that this is adaptive behavior, not progressive. Those who want to have work to do - who are essentially desperately trying to make work and find the motivation to do it - are being pressured into this mindset. I wouldn't call it good or uplifting though. I see it as desperation.

Doesn't mean it is a bad idea to embrace though.

 

[FDG]

Networking has always been important, for a large number of reasons: 1) a number of jobs just aren't advertised and you can't even take the opportunity if you don't know someone; 2) sometimes companies may have the budget for hiring, but don't necessarily need to fill a position and by knowing someone you can propose your own "project"; 3) you keep in touch with people you connect with, and eventually business "ideas" may come out of it.
I'm sure there's plenty more reasons. I don't see how it's become conceptually different, except that people may have to change jobs more frequently and may thus have to "exploit" their networks to find something new much more frequently.

Said that, in an economic downturn there might just be no money going around for hiring, especially for entry-to-mid level jobs, so even having a great network won't really change anything.

(Among the 4 "decent" jobs I've had, I've found 2 through my "network" - the good thing was that people trusted me from day 1, since I had been introduced by someone they knew)

 

[WhoCares]

I've never gotten any job via networking so I find it hard to understand why people put so much importance on it. My employer used to seek referrals for new workers from exsting ones. When management changed what they found was a company ruled by cliques with inappropriately qualified people n poitions of power making a hash of things. The networking ethos was binned and externals hired
in preference to referrals.

 

[ygolo]

It is hard for me to properly place whether I got my jobs to networking or not. I think it played a big role. But I did not spend a lot of time asking people I know if they knew people.

Perhaps there are cliques that I am unaware of. But I think most people just like assigning jobs to people they know and know have done some (similar) job before.

I got my first internship through a resume and a phone interview. I got my second internship at the same place, but doing something different. My boss during my first internship worked hard to find something similar to what I said I wanted to do. I got my first full time job through the second internship, doing the same thing at the same place. Following jobs were just consequences of promotions and reorganizations within the company.

I went back to school a couple of years ago, and my boss at the time almost managed to convince me not to go. My "soft skills" may not be the best, but people seem to want keep me around for jobs.

Also, now that I am in school, I pay the bills like many graduate students, through Teaching Assistantships. I am not entirely sure how much networking plays a role here. But the last few times I have found out early that I have appointments because some professor requested me, or I requested to be a TA for some professor (we make a list each quarter, but a direct e-mail to or from the professor has been most effective in ensuring I have a position).

I may have over emphasized networking, however. There are other aspects of "The Start Up of You" I thought were interesting: treating yourself (at least the part of you with a career) as if you were a start-up. Being in a "permanent beta", sharpening your competitive advantage in the market place, pivoting when the assumptions you made about success don't hold up, ...

 

[FDG]

Being in a "permanent beta", sharpening your competitive advantage in the market place, pivoting when the assumptions you made about success don't hold up, ...

I'd agree with that, sure.

But I did not spend a lot of time asking people I know if they knew people.

It's not just that. If your friends or co-workers or "connections" work in an industry you may be working in / for, you get direct access to insider information which you can then use during an interview, and you get a picture of how things work in that company / business area even before you start working there.

Some employers even require your linkedin profile in your application, to see if you can "bring" some potentially interesting connections other than your technical skills. I'm not sure if that's a positive evolution or not, but it seems to be happening.

 

[Giggly]

I've found networking to be extremely important, and despite the fact that I'm not that great at it and would rather be doing something else (something more introverted), I'm lucky that, in my line of work, my colleagues are typically even more introverted than me, so they make me look like I'm really good at networking in comparison. lol

 

[skylights]

I agree that networking is (and honestly perhaps always has been) important, and I can think of some people for whom I think this idea would really click. Personally, I am not sure this is a format that is appealing to me or speaks to my core drives, as I prefer the realms of human service and social provision, which feel natural to me, to self-preservation and self-promotion, which tend to feel forced on my part. For me warming to networking has been about channeling genuine interest in others and shared goals, as well as creating a presence for myself as a learned and wise practitioner. But to each their own - I am happy for those for whom this strategy works well.

 

[figsfiggyfigs]

This title is so cheesy that it causes rage within me.

 

[93JC]

This title is so cheesy that it causes rage within me.

The Rage Up of You

 

[ygolo]

I agree that networking is (and honestly perhaps always has been) important, and I can think of some people for whom I think this idea would really click. Personally, I am not sure this is a format that is appealing to me or speaks to my core drives, as I prefer the realms of human service and social provision, which feel natural to me, to self-preservation and self-promotion, which tend to feel forced on my part. For me warming to networking has been about channeling genuine interest in others and shared goals, as well as creating a presence for myself as a learned and wise practitioner. But to each their own - I am happy for those for whom this strategy works well.

I like the bolded.

Also, I am not sure what format you mean. The use of LinkedIn? TBH, I have never gotten a job that way, nor do I believe I will.

Just because the founder of LinkedIn is involved in "The Start Up of You", I don't believe that he is necessarily promoting his own site. He is a serial entrepreneur, and has started many things, including payapal, and advises/mentors a lot of people in Silicon Valley. (If you've ever seen the show Shark Tank, he's essentially one of those "Sharks". Though around here, they are called "Angels". The difference in metaphor is something I am grappling with as the entreprenerial path becomes a rather serious option for me. Both metaphors ring true for me.)

 

[TheStarchDefenders]

This title is so cheesy that it causes rage within me.

dat bitchface

 

[skylights]

I like the bolded.

Also, I am not sure what format you mean. The use of LinkedIn? TBH, I have never gotten a job that way, nor do I believe I will.

Just because the founder of LinkedIn is involved in "The Start Up of You", I don't believe that he is necessarily promoting his own site. He is a serial entrepreneur, and has started many things, including payapal, and advises/mentors a lot of people in Silicon Valley. (If you've ever seen the show Shark Tank, he's essentially one of those "Sharks". Though around here, they are called "Angels". The difference in metaphor is something I am grappling with as the entreprenerial path becomes a rather serious option for me. Both metaphors ring true for me.)

Thank you.

I suppose I didn't explain what I meant well. I was attempting to voice that while I like the idea, I do not think it would work for everyone. I was attempting to use myself as an example of someone who does not immediately connect with the concept.

I say this... because the qualities of "natural" entrepreneurship listed in the videos - "feeding myself"... "developing a competitive edge"... "taking smart risks" - they might be present in some capacity in all humans, certainly, but those are not inherently pleasing or intuitive tasks for me. I naturally tend to help others... foster cooperation... and prevent risk. I know that the opposite skills are within myself as dormant possibilities, but they require much of my energy and cause me stress to utilize well. The video seems to show the idea of reaching inside deep towards the beginning of civilization and connecting with the natural entrepreneur, but doing so does not bring me much joy or peace of mind. So, while I like the idea of people taking control of their destinies and steering their own courses, I have always found myself more motivated by working to further the causes of others than the cause of myself. The Start Up of Me, or LinkedIn, or networking in general, seems to be something I gravitate to as a result of my course, not as a launchpad for it, if that makes sense. I suppose at a fundamental level I already have identified my task (helping those who are hurting) and I see "starting up" as a secondary task. It is just not so important to me.

I think the guy who made this is an entrepreneur at heart and this is what he loves and feels deeply resonant with. I love the passion and determination that are voiced therein. It's just... I don't feel the same way, and I don't think everyone has to blaze the entrepreneurial path to help society and the economy move in a positive direction. For example, I tend to think that government, healthcare, and religion are all domains that will never be able to be wholly competitive, free market arenas, and so people like me - us nontrepreneurs - can fill those less dynamic, more institutional roles in society while letting others Start Up to their hearts' content.