Excellent advice from @fchollet
Missing: Disclaimer: The [job] market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent. The Thomas theorem may apply.
Nikola Tesla, Walter Pitts, Vincent van Gogh, Alan Turing, Socrates, HP Lovecraft,…
You may not be that clever.
Missing: Disclaimer: The [job] market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent. The Thomas theorem may apply.
Nikola Tesla, Walter Pitts, Vincent van Gogh, Alan Turing, Socrates, HP Lovecraft,…
You may not be that clever.
I'm not that clever, and yet, my thoughts revolve around quitting my job more and more. I'm willing to accept austerity, poverty, and misery. But not homelessness. I'm compromising, in an explicit and clear way. Do you compromise consciously?
youtube.com/playlist?list=…
youtube.com/playlist?list=…
Life is short. You are what you do, not what anybody says or thinks. What do you want to be before you no longer are? How much of your life do you need to compromise to afford that? There are no guarantees of time left, try to cut some corners.
trylks.tumblr.com/post/165698978…
trylks.tumblr.com/post/165698978…
Take home message: if worrying about opinions is profitable and you need the money, do it, but very consciously. Set limits clearly. Reduce needs to increase freedom. Never forget who you are. BE who you are. Being is something you do, not something you have. Every day counts.
I guess I'm starting a "quit your job" thread.
It's all broken, starting from the recruiting
This is redundant, but I know 99.9% of you didn't go through my wonderful YouTube playlist linked earlier:
linkedin.com/feed/update/ur…
linkedin.com/feed/update/ur…
Definitively check this thread too:
Please note, this is a "quit your job" thread, not a "stop being useful for society: expect all that you want in return".
Be useful, get rewarded, participate in economy, but freely, not as a salaryperson w/o freedom or purpose.
"Earn with your mind".
Be useful, get rewarded, participate in economy, but freely, not as a salaryperson w/o freedom or purpose.
"Earn with your mind".
Ask yourself how much value did you create last week. I do not talk about income or earnings, for you, a company that owns you, CEO, shareholders,…
I mean a direct contribution (no matter how small) to a greater present or future well-being of humankind
I mean a direct contribution (no matter how small) to a greater present or future well-being of humankind
Companies focus on capturing value. In a transaction-based economy this is crucial to survive, but in a knowledge-based economy it destroys value. Knowledge is a non-rival good:
* More communicated → more value created
* Less value captured →less revenue
trylks.wordpress.com/2018/01/06/the…
* More communicated → more value created
* Less value captured →less revenue
trylks.wordpress.com/2018/01/06/the…
For the people, revenue is necessary too, but it is not enough. Most humans need to feel useful for society, fulfill a purpose or duty
"It's just a job" is a great way to waste hundreds of hours per year. There is not a single hour to waste in a lifetime
trylks.tumblr.com/post/165694019…
"It's just a job" is a great way to waste hundreds of hours per year. There is not a single hour to waste in a lifetime
trylks.tumblr.com/post/165694019…
[Big digression on value capture, it's relevant]
When value is captured it gets centralized, making technology more fragile. It is bad for technology, knowledge, and markets → arguably economy
⇓ options → ⇓ competence → ⇓ freedom → ⇓ progress
When value is captured it gets centralized, making technology more fragile. It is bad for technology, knowledge, and markets → arguably economy
⇓ options → ⇓ competence → ⇓ freedom → ⇓ progress
Patents are such an example of value capture. A monopoly limited in time. We have to find better incentives for research.
Furthermore, the connection between actual inventors (creation) and patent holders (capture) may not be straightforward.
twitter.com/i/moments/9592…
Furthermore, the connection between actual inventors (creation) and patent holders (capture) may not be straightforward.
twitter.com/i/moments/9592…
Value creation is distributed, it does not depend on companies but on individuals/labor.
Volunteers may create great value w/ limited revenue or economic compensation. There's crowdfunding, donations,… but there's no business model w/o value capture.
Volunteers may create great value w/ limited revenue or economic compensation. There's crowdfunding, donations,… but there's no business model w/o value capture.
Society, especially those receiving direct revenue from capturing value (e.g. created by #OSS) should fund creators, to allocate more resources on that value creation. A virtuous cycle. Otherwise, we get instability and missed opportunities, misery.
Greed advises against paying for something more that other agents pay to get the same thing. Race to the bottom → reward w\o value capture can only be 0
For companies, greed = survival instinct. The selfish gene/meme/business model prevails & propagates
For companies, greed = survival instinct. The selfish gene/meme/business model prevails & propagates
For people, what you capture dies w/ you, what you create and put in the world may survive your death. Make it big. You are dying any way.
Survival & value capture/creation work in opposite ways for companies & people.
[End of value capture digression]
Survival & value capture/creation work in opposite ways for companies & people.
[End of value capture digression]
Jobs are not a finite resource, you may not need to "get a job" denying it to all other candidates. You may create your own job, and make it better than any of those available in the marketplace while you are at it.
Easier said than done, I know.
Easier said than done, I know.
If circumstances are not favorable, working on that first may be a suitable approach. Be careful not to invest too much time on shaving the yak. Time is your most valuable and scarce resource and there's no way to get it back. "Return of time invested".
"The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs"
You may think your job is important. It is
But your career, skills, value created, ability to reach agreements & collaborate, & many other things are *more* important
Here are two references I may never find again:
You may think your job is important. It is
But your career, skills, value created, ability to reach agreements & collaborate, & many other things are *more* important
Here are two references I may never find again:
If jobs are more abundant than people, then people (time, skills, health,…) devaluates in the market. Create a job, then you will face a larger market. (BTW: do not forget strikes).
Markets are dangerous beasts, until I write about that, have this: diigo.com/0ba10w
Markets are dangerous beasts, until I write about that, have this: diigo.com/0ba10w
If you dream on escaping your job and keep postponing it, answer: "If not now then when?"
There are valid options: retirement, death, when I'm fired,… and there are bad options: "later, I don't know"
The question is: What scares you most, leaving or staying?
There are valid options: retirement, death, when I'm fired,… and there are bad options: "later, I don't know"
The question is: What scares you most, leaving or staying?
While I think jobs make many people miserable & they should quit, it's not advisable for everyone
If you're comfortable in a gilded cage, feel free to stay. If you're your own boss, you set your own terms w/ reality. Otherwise, reconsider
I write this reminder for myself anyway
If you're comfortable in a gilded cage, feel free to stay. If you're your own boss, you set your own terms w/ reality. Otherwise, reconsider
I write this reminder for myself anyway
If you are not ready to become an entrepreneur (not everybody needs to), switching jobs is usually beneficial. Consider switching yours, incl. quitting your current one
BTW: switching speed decreases productivity, we have a system w/ bad incentives here
BTW: switching speed decreases productivity, we have a system w/ bad incentives here
BTW: recruiters have the incentives (moral hazard) to convert the job market in a lottery: everybody keeps trying randomly in nonsense
A stable job market is more productive/efficient:
1 leaving them jobless
2 training/learning
3 unfinished tasks
4 …
A stable job market is more productive/efficient:
1 leaving them jobless
2 training/learning
3 unfinished tasks
4 …
To grow you need to address new challenges for which you are not fully ready. Companies rarely see incentives in helping you to grow, quite the opposite especially considering fast replacement of employees. You are most productive as a replaceable automata, slowly boring out. 
Similarly, you are better off learning publicly, which rarely matches the ethos of a private company
Again related w/ value creation/capture, interest: capturing in assets the most value from brains
Creating value in brains or out of assets? Bad ROI…
Again related w/ value creation/capture, interest: capturing in assets the most value from brains
Creating value in brains or out of assets? Bad ROI…
This clashes w/ knowledge economy, software (is eating the world),…
Many jobs are seeing knowledge half-life diminishing. Others face automation & extinction. The interests of your employer may not be aligned w/ yours wrt this
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-life…
fs.blog/2018/03/half-l…
Many jobs are seeing knowledge half-life diminishing. Others face automation & extinction. The interests of your employer may not be aligned w/ yours wrt this
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-life…
fs.blog/2018/03/half-l…
I'm not even going to go into R&D because it has a whole different set of larger problems. We should expect more research being done as that is what "accelerates returns", but our economic models may not match what research is, it may be redundant, slower
Of course there's a question of trust & faith. You should have more faith & trust on yourself than what your employer has, you should not expect more from them than what you have. Opposite from trust is risk: you manage your own risk when self-employed.
Remember, it's not about being ready or having all the answers, it's about what you can figure out along the way, there's always the unknown. Nobody is born ready. This is life, chances are you faced the unexpected before and survived. There be dragons…
None of this means taking unnecessary or extreme risks. "Define your fears". Minimize the risks as much as you can ASAP, remember "sed fugit interea fugit irreparabile tempus". Better feel pressure now than remorse later. Take action, and take care at it.
medium.com/incerto/the-lo…
medium.com/incerto/the-lo…
If you have rented your brain 24/7 to a company (usual in some industries), reconsider if it's worth it & chances of escaping. If stuck in a rut & digging deeper, stop right now, find an alternative. There are more than you think. GTFO.
Thread & replies:
Thread & replies:
It's easy to focus on what you earn and what you produce, considering a job as a transaction, time [& labor] per money. Collaterally, employees are paying a higher price on that transaction. It's greatly variable. Always factor it in the "transaction".
Maybe you don't want to work in a large company (Dead Sea), maybe you prefer to work in [a|your own] small one, or as a freelance
The default option society & companies have planned for you is to be an obedient employee. Is that what you want?
The default option society & companies have planned for you is to be an obedient employee. Is that what you want?
Q: Is your boat safer than a ship?
A: It depends on you
Do you trust you employer more than yourself? Do they appreciate you more than yourself?
@danthemanlok explains in #FUMoney 👌
Find it in PDF/MP3 (free): fumoney.com/ebook
Or printed: amzn.to/2MYSlyK
A: It depends on you
Do you trust you employer more than yourself? Do they appreciate you more than yourself?
@danthemanlok explains in #FUMoney 👌
Find it in PDF/MP3 (free): fumoney.com/ebook
Or printed: amzn.to/2MYSlyK
As a researcher, academia sucks: long hours, overwhelming overhead & politics, low salary,… But it's still better than industry. Those are the jobs available, may you be able to create a better one?
For yourself: freelance/consultant For others: business
For yourself: freelance/consultant For others: business
- If you want to get rich, you cannot work for others
- I don't want to get rich
- Then you may work foro them, and pay for an uncomfortable comfort & the delusion of security
- I don't know / cannot do better
- Not now, but can you become better?
- I don't want to get rich
- Then you may work foro them, and pay for an uncomfortable comfort & the delusion of security
- I don't know / cannot do better
- Not now, but can you become better?
Nobody can tell you your path to success. If someone does, then that's the path to success for them, in the best case scenario.
Listen to reality more than you listen to people, learn from it, improve through both success and failure. Find your path.
Listen to reality more than you listen to people, learn from it, improve through both success and failure. Find your path.
You become what you do. If you are paid for doing something many hours per year, you better like what you become that way. It's not time for money, there are side effects. Are you free to choose?
This is now a tree. Separate thread on this topic here:
This is now a tree. Separate thread on this topic here:
The more you think you need your job and cannot find/create a better one, the worst it will be, and more likely there will be better ones
You devaluate yourself in the market, be aware of your worth, or capability to create value, make it count
You devaluate yourself in the market, be aware of your worth, or capability to create value, make it count
If you feel like making any effort to fit in a culture [which may be pathological], think twice if you may prefer to make that effort to create value instead. Probably everybody will be better off with the latter option, especially you.
Many people provide more inspiring and better examples of entrepreneurship than I can, I have already added some in the thread and I will keep adding them in a different thread. Look at what they say but especially take action. Here's the thread:
I hope by now I've made clear that most likely you should quit your job
There are exceptions, who either made that hard choice earlier, or [not of anyone's business:] are waiting to retire or be disrupted, whatever happens earlier
Choose YOUR path
trylks.tumblr.com/post/167565588…
There are exceptions, who either made that hard choice earlier, or [not of anyone's business:] are waiting to retire or be disrupted, whatever happens earlier
Choose YOUR path
trylks.tumblr.com/post/167565588…
Quitting your job is not the last step, neither the first. Be prepared enough to be able to grow stronger (not weaker) on every battle, and the only possible outcome will be victory. Do not rush into defeat, but do not postpone action unnecessary or with negligible usefulness.
If you are going to leave order & safety swapping it for chaos & risk, you must first make chaos beneficial for you, becoming antifragile. The point isn't seeking ruin, but seeking greater wealth. Decisions require reasonable criteria. Learn & decide.
It's not about quitting your job, but about realizing your full potential.
If you are going to learn before/after that, you may as well learn from people/methodologies that can break out the lessons in a few points. I will keep a thread with those here:
If you are going to learn before/after that, you may as well learn from people/methodologies that can break out the lessons in a few points. I will keep a thread with those here:
I may be repeating myself by now, and I found that @danthemanlok mentioned many things previously in his book. So it's time to finish this thread and ask @threadreaderapp to unfold it.
Sorry for all the typos. But this is Twitter, they'll stay forever ⚗
Sorry for all the typos. But this is Twitter, they'll stay forever ⚗
@threadreaderapp unroll
