The Startup of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career

by Reid Hoffman

You were born an entrepreneur. This doesn’t mean you were born to start companies. In fact, most people shouldn’t start companies.

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.

If you want to chart a course that differentiates you from other professionals in the marketplace, the first step is being able to complete the sentence, “A company hires me over other professionals because …” How are you first, only, faster, better, or cheaper than other people who want to do what you’re doing in the world? What are you offering that’s hard to come by? What are you offering that’s both rare and valuable?

In other words, don’t try to be the greatest marketing executive in the world; try to be the greatest marketing executive of small-to-midsize companies that compete in the health-care industry. Don’t just try to be the highest-paid hospitality operations person in the world; try to be a top-notch hospitality operations person in a way that’s aligned with your values so that you can sustain your work over the long run.

The person passionate about what he or she is doing will outwork and outlast the guy motivated solely by making money.

Most supertalented people want to be the front man; few play the consigliere role well.

Update your profile on LinkedIn so that your summary statement articulates your competitive advantages. You should be able to fill in this sentence: “Because of my [skill/​experience/​strength], I can do [type of professional work] better than [specific types of other professionals in my industry].”

Write down some of your key assets in the context of a market reality. BAD: I excel at public speaking. GOOD: I excel at public speaking on engineering topics, relative to how good most engineers are at public speaking.

The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.

Many relationships fade unknowingly and unfortunately. Actively maintain the relationships you value, and consciously let fade those you do not.