Sunday, April 15, 2012

The Start-Up of You


I just finished a new book which I highly recommend:
What if you ran your career or your life as if it were a start-up?  Not everyone wants to be or should be an entrepreneur, but everyone can live their life with the mindset and the skill set of an entrepreneur.
The very first words on the inside cover of this book are:  "Permanent Beta, noun:  To always be starting and to forever be a work in progress".   This is the wave of the future.
Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha have done an inspiring job of reminding us that the career path is not linear.  Most people will change jobs and careers many times in the years to come and that "adaptability creates stability".  It doesn't mean there is no planning, it just means that "you prioritize plans that offer the best chance at learning about yourself and the world".
The book goes into detail about taking intelligent risk, using flexible planning, and always presuming there will be change.  You can't avoid risk or change, the authors point out, but you can manage it.
I loved this book and I recommend it to any one just starting their career path or making changes along the way, which means just about everyone.
According to the authors, this is the most quoted sentence in the book,
“The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.”  That sentence alone is enough to guide you.
You can find more information on this website: 
Denise