Reviews
Well thought-out I found the book to contain a lot of applicable advice with chapters ending with action steps for the next day, month and year.
** spoiler alert ** Reid and Ben present a how-to guide on building and shaping your career in the modern world. By drawing an analogy to entrepreneurs/startups, the book presents approaches to be adaptable, take risks and to grow and leverage networks, though the analogies feel stretched at some points. The book introduces a powerful concept in I^We ('I' raised to power of 'We') that demonstrates both the abilities of the individual and the power of the network to influence career trajectories. The book offers both high-level strategies and specific practical actions in various time-frames(next day, next week and next month) to make proactive career moves. A lot of the advice does revolve around ways to use LinkedIn better, but it should seem obvious to readers that LinkedIn has already established itself as a core tool in any professional's arsenal.
Main takeaways: - traditional thinking about careers has been disrupted by tech (the speed of job automation and new jobs that don't have conventional career paths). - millennial loyalty towards companies has changed to a "tour of duty" style of thinking, gravitating towards meaningful opportunities rather than being tied to a particular company. - metaphor of self as startup: adopting the strategies of successful entrepreneurs in uncertain environments - Your life and professional career is in permanent beta. We are all works in progress. - advocates value of third degree connections - to build a network relationship: Help first. Think about how you can help and collaborate with the other person, rather than what you can get. Not being transactional. - value of meetups and courting serendipity in order to increase opportunities (by introducing randomness in one's life) Critique: the book was heavily self-promotional for LinkedIn and Reid Hoffman. Taken from the website http://www.thestartupofyou.com/summary/ 1. Develop competitive advantage — combine three puzzle pieces into a coherent whole: your assets, your aspirations, and market realities 2. ABZ planning — formulate a Plan A based on your competitive advantage, and then iterate and adapt that plan based on feedback and lessons learned. Plan A: What you’re doing now. Plan B: What you pivot to when plan A isn’t working or when you discover a better way toward your goal. Plan Z: What you shift to when something goes seriously wrong. – Plan A: Almost ready, aim, fire; aim, fire; aim, fire. – Plan B: Pivot as you learn. – Plan Z: Jump on your lifeboat and regroup. 3. Build a professional network — based on real, lasting relationships 4. Pursue breakout opportunities 5. Take intelligent risks 6. Tap network intelligence - “The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.” Network literacy: – “Knowing how to conceptualize, access, and benefit from the information flowing through your social network.”
